The threatened Upper Florentine valley, western Tasmania. Photo Kip NunnTasmania has one of the world’s great temperate wilderness areas. It contains jagged mountains, sub-alpine plateaux, a wild coast with pristine beaches, lagoons and rugged headlands, gorges carved by wild rivers, rainforests, and substantial tracts of primeval eucalypt forests. Large tracts are protected within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area or adjacent National Parks, yet Tasmania’s wilderness is also under enormous threat. Logging is penetrating previously remote and natural valleys. In northern and eastern Tasmania, remnant forests form crucial habitat for threatened species such as the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle. A massive proposed pulp mill would double the rate of logging in Tasmania.
 |
| Tasmania's irreplaceable forests |
|
Tasmania is home to the tallest hardwood forests on Earth, with trees reaching nearly 100 metres and living for over 400 years. It is also home to Australia’s greatest tract of temperate rainforest. |
 |
| Gunns' proposed pulp mill |
|
The Wilderness Society is campaigning to stop Gunns Ltd building a massive native forest-fed pulp mill in the Tamar Valley. This pulp mill will be a disaster for our forests; our oceans and beaches; our marine life and fisheries; our wildlife; our water; the air of the Tamar Valley; our climate; and our economy.
|
 |
| Self-drive guides |
|
Discover Tasmania's forests for yourself, with one of our self-drive guides. Find out about walks in the Blue Tier, South Sister, the Tarkine, the Upper Florentine, the Weld, and the Styx. |
Tasmania Updates
- End of the Gunns20 legal saga - February 02, 2010
- One giant leap for Gunns – one small step forward for Tasmania’s forests - January 10, 2010
- Walk Against Warming - December 13, 2009
More than five years after writs were first issued, the Gunns lawsuit saga has come to an end for all 20 defendants with the decision by Gunns to drop its remaining claims against four defenders of a small valley on the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
The New Year has brought about a new attitude from logging company Gunns Limited – with help from a bit of pressure applied by conservationists like you!
On 12 December, over 90,000 people joined in Walk Against Warming events across Australia. The walk coincided with the Copenhagen Climate talks and sent a powerful message to our politicians.
Tasmania Events
- Community carbon-accounting days
With your help, we can measure the amount of carbon stored in the forests that Forestry Tasmania is planning to log, and find out the true value of Tasmania's forests. Community carbon-accounting days: Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 March, Tarkine; Sunday 28 March, Blue Tier
Tasmania Media Releases
- Climate change plan gives green light for native forest power stations and ignores protection of forests - February 02, 2010
- Minister looking after Gunns' interests - January 20, 2010
- Nordea Backs Away From Gunns’ Pulp Mill - January 07, 2010
Following the release of the Tasmanian Government’s ‘wedges project”, environment groups today expressed dismay at the apparent lack of analysis and acceptance of the actual emissions from forestry activities and the immediate climate benefits that could be achieved by protecting native forests.
Environment groups have labelled the trip to Japan by Resources Minister David Llewelyn with Gunns boss John Gay and Forestry Tasmania boss Bob Gordon a mercy dash aimed at looking after Gunns’ interests by attempting to keep native forest woodchipping alive in Tasmania.
For the first time, Nordea bank announced today that it would not finance the Gunns’ pulp mill in Australia if its widely publicised environmental impacts were not curbed. The announcement, made by Nordea via Twitter, came in response to a two-day blitz of public pressure. The campaign kicked off with an action from global campaign network Avaaz.org, and triggered engagement from thousands of Scandinavian citizens including many Nordea customers and shareholders.
|
The Wilderness Society Tasmania |
Ph: (03) 6224 1550 |
||
| more contacts » | |||
|
Hobart Shop Shop 8 Galleria, 33 Salamanca Place, Hobart, 03 6234 9370 |
|||
Subscribe to email updates
