Will Tasmania’s Parliament Vote To Keep Enforced Soviet-Style Logging Quota For More Forest Destruction?

As Victoria and Western Australia transition away from native forest logging, a key part of Tasmania’s native forest logging regime will be tested in State Parliament this week.

On Wednesday, the Tasmanian Greens will table an amendment that would remove Section 16 of the Forestry Act 2013.

This section of the Act equates to a Government-mandated logging quota, and forces Forestry Tasmania (trading as ‘Sustainable Timber Tasmania’) to make 137,000 cubic metres of forest timber available each year, regardless of what the markets actually want or don’t want.

“Removing this Government-mandated quota is important to reduce the amount of High Conservation Value forests destroyed by Forestry Tasmania, for example, all swift parrot habitat, which should be protected from logging.

“The Liberal Government claims that private enterprise and ‘free markets’ are the best forms of economic management but this Government-enforced logging quota is Soviet-style economics.

“The Government says it prefers privatisation but is using taxpayer funds to interfere in the market, enforcing a mindlessly destructive logging quota that destroys this island’s remaining High Conservation Value forests for commercial loss.

Tom Allen, 0434 614 323