The Tasmanian Liberal Party has pledged to open up 40,000 hectares of native forest from the “Wood Bank” for logging if they secure victory in the upcoming state election.
Around 360,000 hectares of native forest reserves were “rescued” from permanent lockup and designated as potential future production forests by the incoming Liberal government in 2014.
Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff said they set aside these reserves for a “rainy day”, which has now arrived.
“As a result of both the closure of native forest industries in Western Australia and Victoria under Labor Governments, as well as growing global demand for sustainably produced wood and fibre products, now is the right time to open this Wood Bank,” Rockliff said.
Braddon candidate Felix Ellis said the extra timber would be exclusively available to existing Tasmanian customers of Sustainable Timber Tasmania.
“This process will make available up to an additional 158,000 cubic metres of high-quality sawlog to Tasmanian sawmillers. It is expected that this will provide an up to 10% boost in annual supply to the industry,” he said.
“It’s important to remember, more than 50%, or 3.43 million hectares, of Tasmania is in formal reserves, making Tasmania one of the most protected places on earth. This includes around 58% of the State’s native forests and over 85% of its old-growth forests.”
Work to unlock the “Wood Bank” would begin within the party’s first 100 days of government.
“We have already identified 27 parcels of Future Potential Production Forest land totalling approximately 39,000 hectares of largely regrowth forest in the north-east and north-west, which is suitable for conversion back to production forest,” Ellis said.
“The parcels have been identified on the basis that the state’s comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) reserve system is not compromised, that there is no negative impact on STT’s current and future certification and that maximise carbon carrying capacity, fire protection and recreational opportunities.”
“Areas of regrowth forests with previous forest management and roading activity have been prioritised.”
The Bob Brown Foundation’s Bob Brown, who was recently arrested for allegedly trespassing in a forestry coupe, said a “giant rally for the forests” is in the works ahead of the election.
“The Liberals’ commitment to destroy 40,000 hectares of Tasmania’s wild and scenic forests, set aside for conservation under the Tasmanian Forest Agreement, may see me, for one, spending time in jail for peacefully defending those forests and their wildlife,” Brown said.
“I expect there will be hundreds more arrested for defending the forests despite the Liberals’ draconian anti-protests laws and Tasmania will be plunged into a dark age of global condemnation for destroying this natural heritage.”
