Issue # 1410      13 May 2009

Call for moratorium on logging old growth

The Tasmanian Greens have demanded that the state government respond to low demand for woodchips and sawlogs by imposing an immediate moratorium on logging and roading in Tasmania’s high conservation value forests, especially given that Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) will now be part of an independent review of the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity and Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Greens leader, MP Nick McKim, said that with global demand for woodchips remaining low, and sawlogs currently being used for woodchips and peeler logs, there is no excuse for the government to continue its divisive strategy of targeting high conservation value forests for destruction.

“A moratorium would take the heat out of the forest debate, and reduce some of the divisions in our community,” Mr McKim said.

“The real reason that Forestry Tasmania is continuing to target high conservation value forests is to destroy the values that one day could lead to the protection of those areas. That is nothing less than institutionalised vandalism.”

Mr McKim said that there are thousands of tonnes of sawlogs racked up at landings in Tasmania’s southern forests due to a drop in demand, which puts the lie to government spin that the industry is sawlog driven.

“With global demand for woodchips low, and a looming federal review of RFAs, there is no excuse for Premier Bartlett to continue to allow the logging of Tasmania’s magnificent high conservation value forests.”

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