Wilderness Society secures urgent injunction against Tas govt's suspected illegal logging

The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) has successfully obtained an injunction in the Supreme Court of lutruwita/Tasmania to halt suspected illegal logging by the Tasmanian government and its logging agency, Forestry Tasmania.

The injunction has halted logging in forests at Mt Tongatabu near Surges Bay in the south of the state. The injunction stands until the matter is further heard in the Supreme Court on Thursday, 8 December 2022.

“The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) suspects that the logging at Mt Tongatabu is illegal because the forest practices plan, which is meant to be approved at arm's length, appears to have been self-approved by an employee of Forestry Tasmania, which we believe is an obvious conflict of interest and a symptom of a weak and failing regulatory system,” said Tom Allen for the Wilderness Society (Tasmania).

“This logging by the Tasmanian government is in the habitat of the world’s fastest parrot, the swift waylitja/parrot. It is also within the southern forest Swift Parrot Important Breeding area—during feeding and breeding season—and it is logging that is driving this critically endangered species extinct. Forestry Tasmania’s logging is also the island’s single-biggest source of CO2 emissions.

“The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) is pleased to work with members of the local community and the Save Mt Tongatabu and Forestry Watch groups to protect these precious forests.

“The community rights of local residents are being denied by Forestry Tasmania, as is the ability of the public to know if timber, paper and packaging they are buying are made from these ransacked forests,” said Mr Allen.

Photos of injunction being served and the logging coupe at Mt Tongatabu

For further comment, please contact Tom Allen on 0434 614 323