For over 30 years, people across Australia have aspired to see Tasmania's unique and important forests protected from the threat of logging. They have protested, rallied, lobbied, negotiated, photographed, researched and written about these precious forests.

Now, a new agreement can deliver the protection we've all worked so hard to achieve.

On Sunday August 7, the Federal and Tasmanian Governments signed the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement (Download the full agreement in pdf) The Federal government will provide crucial money for workers and contractors to exit native forest logging, and the Tasmanian government will progress the necessary legal changes to protect forests as formal reserves like national parks.

Pathway to protection

This agreement provides a pathway to protect iconic native forests including the Styx, Upper Florentine and Weld Valleys, the Tarkine, the Great Western Tiers, the North-East Highlands, including the Blue Tier, South Sister and the Eastern Tiers including Wielangta. Lesser known areas like Panama Forests, Bruny Island, West Wellington and Reedy Marsh will also be protected.

No money for pulp mill

Importantly, the agreement contains an assurance that no Federal money will help build the pulp mill. In a statement of fact the agreement says “... that no Commonwealth funds will be paid to progress the Bell Bay pulp mill project.”

Financial support

Forestry workers and some rural communities are living through tough times as the native forest logging industry has continued to collapse. We welcome the financial support the agreement provides for workers and contractors to exit the industry with dignity.

The Federal Government will also fund a plan to diversify Tasmania's regional economies, offering an exciting chance to revitalise regional Tasmania and take advantage of new opportunities from protecting forests, restoring and reconnecting the landscape and thinking long term for Tasmania's future.

Next steps

While this isn't the end of the process and much work is still to be done, it provides clear agreement to reform Tasmanian legislation to ensure formal protection for forests and a reduction in the amount of logging in native forests.

The Wilderness Society is calling for support from all political parties and the Tasmanian Legislative Council. Their support for this agreement will secure assistance for struggling workers, a new future for the industry and better protection for our environment and climate.

There is a lot of work still to do, but the agreement provides a much more secure framework for full implementation of this once-in-a-generation opportunity and we will work to ensure all elements of the Statement of Principles agreement are delivered. This includes reform of the way plantations are managed and increased protection for forests on private land.

Along with other environment groups, the Wilderness Society will continue to engage with unions, forestry industry representatives, government and the community to finalise further details and deliver on the promise of this agreement.

With your support, we'll be working to take this announcement to the next step, ensure the agreement is honoured and follow the pathway to the protection for Tassie's native forests.

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Bill Kelty, the facilitator of the Tasmanian forest agreement talks, has handed in his long awaited interim report to the Tasmanian and Federal Governments.

The public release of this report is an important step in the progress of the forest peace talks. Its now time for Government action to implement the agreement.

Following the release of this report we now need clear commitments and action from the Tasmanian and Federal governments to protect native forests and reform the timber industry.

Click here to sign our cyber action calling on the Federal Environment Minister to invest in forest conflict resolution.

The Wilderness Society remains committed to the protection of Tasmania’s native forests and the development of a diverse, sustainable timber industry in Tasmania. We believe the agreement provides the best opportunity to deliver both these outcomes and finally resolve the conflict over logging native forests in Tasmania.

The report has identified a range of opportunities and challenges that need to be addressed.

1. Protection of native forests

With the moratorium on logging and road construction in high conservation-value forest reserve areas now overdue, the Governments must move quickly to deliver on their commitments to protect these precious forest areas as national parks and conservation reserves.

Both Governments must help reduce logging pressure on the forests and enable sawmills and workers in the native forest sector to exit the industry. Legislation must also ensure formal protection for these high conservation values forests.

(View the interactive high conservation value forests map)

2. Plantation processing and Gunns’ pulp mill

The Wilderness Society and other environment groups continue to be opposed to the Tamar Valley pulp mill proposal.

It is clear that the Tamar Valley pulp mill with its many legacy issues, including community opposition and fundamental lack of community confidence should not be the base around which we build a new, conflict-free timber industry in Tasmania.

Bill Kelty has rightly identified the Tamar Valley pulp mill and its assessment process as a cause of serious community concern. He has proposed a process of review of the pulp mill assessment and we await further details of this proposed process.

Any new process must be independent, robust and explore all alternative job creation and plantation processing options for regional Tasmania. It must also have the capacity to recommend against the Tamar Valley pulp mill.

3. Where to from here

The Wilderness Society will continue to participate in any process that works towards protecting Tasmania’s forests and resolving the long running conflict over logging. Over the coming months, we’ll be hosting a range of forums and events across Tasmania to discuss with the community the forests agreement process and put forward our position.

The Wilderness Society will continue to engage with local communities about the areas they wish to see protected and will work towards an outcome where the forests are protected once and for all in national parks and conservation reserves.

Click here to read the full report.

On Sunday 20th March, the Wilderness Society participated in a public event organised to show united community opposition to Gunns' Tamar Valley pulp mill.

The event, organised by local group Pulp the Mill, was attended by well over 1000 people. Speakers included representatives from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community and local community groups, author Richard Flanagan and gardening identity and local resident Peter Cundall.

Media coverage in Tasmania was extensive - read the ABC and The Examiner coverage of the rally.

Below is a transcript of the speech given by Vica Bayley, the Wilderness Society's Tasmanian Campaign Manager.

"Before I start I would like to recognise the traditional owners of this land and pay tribute to Aboriginal ancestors and today's Aboriginal community. I acknowledge that I am talking to you today on traditional Aboriginal land.

I would also like to recognise the current residents of the Tamar Valley. I am not from the Tamar Valley. I do not live in the Tamar Valley. But I am from a long line of Tasmanians whose home is this island, who love Tasmania, care deeply for Tasmania and want the best for Tasmania.  The pulp mill has been an issue where the front line is the Tamar Valley, but it is an issue fundamental to the soul of Tasmania - and the future of Tasmania.

I am also representing the Wilderness Society, an organisation that was born out of past battles in Tasmania, and has not stopped battling for Tasmania - for its ancient forests, for a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future.

We are now taking that battle into a space that few of us have ever been and few people would be comfortable operating within. We are committed to delivering an end to the conflict over forests in Tasmania and that has taken us into formal talks. This is a complex and difficult place to be. It is a new and challenging concept to be talking to Gunns, the Government, the industry and unions - to be finding common grounds of agreement and to realise that the attitudes of some have been changed.

However we believe in constructive dialogue and will take our position forward to whoever will listen, in whatever legitimate forum we can access. Some of you may not agree with that approach, and I respect that view. In return I ask that you respect ours.

The Wilderness Society does not support the Tamar Valley pulp mill, and will not support the Tamar Valley pulp mill. Our opposition to the mill has been on the record since day one and is based on a range of issues. We have campaigned with you on these issues, issues such as wood supply, location, marine pollution, freshwater use and of course the discredited, rorted state-based approval process. Most of these issues stand unaddressed, others still have serious question marks hanging over them.

One issue has been resolved and what I will do is recognise change and give credit where credit is due. One of the issues that drove the Wilderness Society's initial opposition to the mill has been addressed. Gunns' claims that this mill will be 100% plantation-based are now verifiable and this fact is written into the federal approval.

This is a step forward. It is a very different outcome from what was first proposed in 2004 when native forests were the foundation feedstock for the mill.  I see this as a positive outcome of years and years of campaign and public pressure and people should feel proud of that.

But is it enough? The fact that you are all here today, and the fact that I am here today clearly says, no - it is not enough.

I believe that a resolution to the conflict over forests in Tasmania is possible. We can protect our native forests. We can build a new sustainable timber industry. But it is clear that this pulp mill - with its legacy issues, with its unassessed issues, with its overt community opposition and with its fundamental lack of community confidence should not be the base around which we build this new industry.

I, and the Wilderness Society, share a vision for Tasmania that I believe many of you would subscribe to. It is a vision where community divisions are healed, where our environment is protected, where our industries are sustainable and we are truly recognised to be a leader to an otherwise chaotic world.

While our ancient forests still fall and this pulp mill looms over the Tamar Valley, there will be no end to the conflict and Tasmania will remain but part of the chaos."

Vica Bayley
Campaign Manager
The Wilderness Society Tasmania Inc