Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Environment spokesperson
The Hodgman Government’s refusal to protect the swift parrot was front and centre on the national stage during last night’s Four Corners program. Bird experts confirmed, once again, that habitat destruction is increasing the risk of extinction for the swift parrot.
Instead of protecting the parrot’s east coast forest homes, the Hodgman Government is pushing ahead with its plan to log the same old growth and high conservation value forest.
Swift parrots feed on blue gums and only breed in trees with hollows. They move to wherever the gums are flowering that season, so habitat protection isn’t as simple as putting aside a few parcels of land.
If we are to save this precious parrot from extinction, the Liberals need to rethink their forest plundering agenda.
At the moment, they are logging old growth forests and planning to log high conservation value forests – home to threatened species, including the swift parrot.
The Liberals must keep the 356,000ha of high conservation value forests, much of which is swift parrot habitat, as reserve land - protected from deforestation.
The swift parrot deserves to be given a chance to survive. The Hodgman Government must urgently rethink their logging plans to save it from extinction.