Leonardo DiCaprio: Hollywood superstar urges Tasmanian government to end native forest logging

Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio has issued an eleventh hour plea to Tasmanian politicians ahead of Saturday’s state election, making his feelings known about a hot-button issue.

Leonardo DiCaprio has weighed into a contentious Tasmanian environmental debate. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio has again issued a plea to the Tasmanian government to end native forest logging, which he says has pushed species including the critically endangered swift parrot “to the brink of extinction”.

DiCaprio posted his message to his more than 60m Instagram followers, after making a statement on social media last month regarding the swift parrot.

“For the past 20 years, the logging industry in Tasmania has relied heavily on taxpayer-funded subsidies to remain profitable,” he said.

Leonardo DiCaprio has again issued a plea to the Tasmanian government to end native forest logging, which he says has pushed species including the critically endangered swift parrot “to the brink of extinction”.

“The Tasmanian government, for the first time since 2011, has announced an increase in the amount of native forest available for logging, despite 75 per cent of Australians calling for an end to native forest logging altogether.”

DiCaprio is a founding board member of environmental non-profit Re:wild and has previously praised the Bob Brown Foundation for securing a temporary injunction to stop logging in swift parrot nesting sites.