Libs clear way for forests’ immediate logging

IMMEDIATE logging of Tasmania’s old growth forests earmarked for protection would be allowed under radical legislation.

IMMEDIATE logging of old growth forests earmarked for protection — and of long-standing conservation reserves — would be allowed, under radical legislation introduced to Tasmania’s parliament by the Liberal government.

The bill introduced yesterday to repeal the state’s historic forest peace deal goes much further than expected in winding back protection for the state’s old growth and other native forests.

As pledged by the Hodgman government, the Forestry Bill cancels plans for 400,000ha of new national parks, tearing up the core of the peace deal between conservationists and timber companies.

But its reach far exceeds the government’s previous policy by watering-down a promised six-year moratorium on logging in the 400,000ha, and by allowing logging for the first time in 840,000ha of existing reserves and conser­vation areas.

The Labor opposition warned the bill would threaten the top-flight Forest Stewardship Council certification seen as vital for the ­future of the timber industry.

The conservation movement labelled the bill a declaration of war which if passed by the state’s independent upper house would force it to withdraw its offer of support for industry on council cer­tification and exports to Japan. With the government admitting there is no proven demand for increased logging, campaigners ­labelled the bill as ideological and at least as much of a danger to industry as to the forests.

“This is not economically driven; this is political and ideological,” said Vica Bayley from the Wilderness Society. “It’s about political messaging; the government being able to demonstrate that they are ‘standing up’ to the conservation movement. But for what? Not one extra job.”

Labor leader Bryan Green unsuccessfully moved for the bill to be withdrawn and redrafted. “Labor wants a bipartisan policy on forestry, but we must be sure the legislation is an industry fix and not a political fix,” he said.

Under the bill, there would be a six-year moratorium on logging inside the 400,000ha previously earmarked for national parks, but the government could excise areas of the 400,000ha for logging at any time, “exchanging” these forests for others inside the timber production zone.

This could complicate the process of the state-owned Forestry Tasmania achieving certification for harvesting in the zone.

Resources Minister Paul Harriss said the bill was designed to ensure no decisions were taken that would have a negative impact on industry certification.