Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader and Forests spokesperson
Resources Minister, Guy Barnett, knows very well the mendicant faction of the native forest logging industry want to get in to the 356 000 hectares of future reserve forest set aside under the Tasmanian Forest Agreement.
Heavily redacted Right to Information documents obtained by the Greens late last year make it clear the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania (FIAT) is warming up the Liberal Government to access part, or all, of the future reserves.
We have no doubt the industry mendicants haven’t let a global pandemic get in the way of their plans. The native forest logging and burning continued, and so will be the lobbying for access to these forests.
These forests are some of the most beautiful, carbon rich ecosystems on the planet. They were independently evaluated as of high conservation value and worthy of protection.
They should be in reserves, protected from the loggers for future generations in perpetuity.
Most Tasmanians would be opposed to logging these forests, which are located near communities at every point of the compass on this island.
As long as they remain unprotected, these forests aren’t safe and the Tasmanian conservation movement will keep defending them.
We live in hope Mr Barnett and his colleagues will see the light and ensure the protection of these global treasures.