Update: Seeking a solution for Tasmania's world-class forests

UPDATE: Gunns, Tasmania's largest timber company, announce "Native forest is not part of our future." This is a historic win for Tasmania's precious world-class forests.

National media :

• Media Release: Environment groups welcome Gunns' frank assessment on native forests
  
• Timber giant concedes defeat in decades-old logging war - The Age
• Gunns surrenders over logs - The Mercury

Stay tuned for more updates

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Australia is home to some of the most magnificent forests on Earth. And these forests are able to store massive amounts of carbon. They have a huge role to play in solutions to climate change.

And now talks are underway to find a solution for Tasmania's world-class forests.

Read our Question and Answer guide to the Tasmanian forest industry and forest talks to find out more about what is being done to reach a solution.

By protecting and restoring our native forests we can absorb massive amounts of carbon pollution – and as they recover and grow, we could store the equivalent  of the pollution from nine large coal fired power stations each year!

Protecting native forests will help us make the deep and early cuts to carbon pollution the world needs if we are to succeed in tackling dangerous climate change.

A solution could be in reach.

Talks between environment groups, industry bodies, unions and timber community representatives are aiming to solve one of Australia’s most longstanding, bitter and difficult, forest conservation battles – the fight for Tasmania’s native forests.

Imagine protecting all of Tasmania’s remaining ancient forests and delivering a major outcome for our climate, wildlife, timber workers and regional communities at the same time.

Through these negotiations we are aiming to protect Tasmania's world-class forests for all time and to create a sustainable timber industry in Tasmania. If agreement is reached between the stakeholders, then we will be calling on the Tasmanian Government to support the plan.

The successful campaigns run by the Wilderness Society over the past 6 years in Japan, Europe and at home highlighting the plight of Tasmania’s outstanding forests, have led to widespread acceptance that a ‘business as usual’ approach will fail everyone, and that for the timber industry and regional communities in Tasmania to have a strong future, alternatives to unsustainable forestry practices must be found.

You can help us achieve forest protection and a major climate solution by signing the Get Up petition. Go to www.forestclimate.org.au. By doing so you will be encouraging the next Federal Government to support an agreement reached in Tasmania and to assist an exit from native forest logging Australia wide.

 Find out more

• Media Release: Historic opportunity to end years of conflict over Tasmania’s forests
• Tasmanian forest industry and forest talks: Questions and Answers