Completing Tasmania’s Forest Transition Overdue: Will Premier & Treasurer Gutwein limp or sprint?

• Tasmania’s globally-significant native forests need urgent protection comparable to what’s proposed for WA and VIC forests by those state govts
• VIC & WA govts commit multi-million dollar transition packages to support native forest industries but Tasmania has committed $0; industry left hanging & forests unprotected
• Will Premier Gutwein allow Tasmania’s forestry industry to continue to decline or take the initiative like WA and VIC?

The Wilderness Society Tasmania has called on Tasmania's Premier and Treasurer Peter Gutwein to join Western Australia and Victoria, and commit to protect the island’s native forests from logging and support native forestry workers to transition to new durable and sustainable industries.

“New Zealand has a thriving forestry industry and ended native forest logging in 2001. Now WA and VIC have committed to protect their forests and transition their native forestry workers too, it is incumbent on Mr Gutwein to do the same,” said Tom Allen for the Wilderness Society Tasmania.

“Given the island boasts some of the world’s most globally-significant, carbon-rich and biodiverse forests, it is untenable for our state to continue the state-sponsored logging of these forests during the unprecedented climate and biodiversity crisis.

“Premier Gutwein ought to be convinced by the clear ecological need for urgent forest protection. In any case, the financial numbers don’t lie: the loss-making industry, still being subsidised with millions from taxpayers, cannot justify such indulgence.

“Native forest logging is in terminal decline because people are rightly saying no to unethical wood from native forests, and because wood volumes are running out.

“Thriving protected forests and native forestry workers transitioned to plantation-based forestry is the future. The question for Mr Gutwein is will Tasmania limp there or sprint there?” said Mr Allen.

For further comment Tom Allen, 0434 614 323.