#forestnews

Media Release - 5th March 2014

Australia’s forest advocacy groups have responded to Prime Minister Tony Abbotts attack on forests and praise for the industry that destroys them.  Many of Australia’s forest conservation groups have been working to have the remaining forests and the wildlife within them protected over the decades.  

WA Forest Alliance spokesperson Jess Beckerling said, “Fancy thinking that loggers, who are clearfelling ancient ecosystems at taxpayers’ expense, are the ‘ultimate conservationists’. It goes to show that the Prime Minister has no idea what protection of Australia’s most precious places even means. Tony Abbott is running a shameless attack against the places we love; our forests, marine parks, the Great Barrier Reef. It's no wonder we're seeing a resurgence of peaceful direct action around the country."

Peg Putt, CEO of Markets For Change, said, "The Prime Minister's determination to log precious native forests when it is documented to be ecologically unsustainable jeopardises the markets of the forest industry which these days demand high environmental credentials in the wood products they sell."

"He would assist the industry into a viable future more effectively and create more secure jobs if he supported utilising existing plantations for value added product and took the pressure off nature, Peg Putt said. "Converting the ailing woodchipping export trade into industrial scale incineration of forests to produce electricity is a plan that will harm the climate and horrify consumers," Peg Putt said.

Jill Redwood from Environment East Gippsland said, “Just as the latest CSIRO report shows Australia’s extreme weather is set to get worse and become the norm, our PM is advocating the further clearfelling and logging of natural forests in order to keep a failing native forest industry struggling against the tide.”

“If there was an international court to try the world’s worst environmental criminals Tony Abbott would be in the dock! He is an appalling/embarrassing example as the leader of a developed nation, at a time when the world’s natural environments are all under extreme stress,” Jill Redwood said.

“Forests are critical in the fight to moderate our climate. There are plantations enough ready to process right now into sawn timber as well as woodchips for paper, without the need to cut down one more stick of native forest” said Jill Redwood.

Tim Gentles from Goongerah Environment Centre said, "The Abbott government has shown themselves to be dangerously irrational when it comes to the economic and environmental reality of native forest logging. Tony Abbott appears happy to undo the protection of our loved and iconic forests whilst allowing millions of taxpayer dollars to disappear for the benefit of offshore companies like Ta Ann and Nippon Paper." 

Harriett Swift spokesperson for South East Region Conservation Alliance said, “At a time when the national government should be looking at protecting native forests as an affordable way of combating climate change, Mr Abbott is declaring war on them.  Mr Abbott has made it blindingly clear why his government is not prepared to subject the logging industry to the same hard line ‘no subsidy’ ideology that other industries are facing. Abbott pledged to treat this industry that has privileged subsidies at the expense of tax-payers, “You aren’t just any industry,” he told them.”

Tasmania Forest Defender In Jail, Needs Support

from Huon Valley Environmental Centre

Nishant Datt will spend one month in jail after breaching a suspended sentence whilst participating in a protest at the Huon Valley Ta Ann mill. He was also sentenced to a further one month imprisonment wholly suspended for 18 months.

Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said, “Nishant Datt has been a defender of the wild forests of Tasmania for seven…

Feb 24th, 2014 - Media Release

Nishant Datt will spend one month in jail after breaching a suspended sentence whilst participating in a protest at the Huon Valley Ta Ann mill. He was also sentenced to a further one month imprisonment wholly suspended for 18 months.

Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said, “Nishant Datt has been a defender of the wild forests of Tasmania for seven years.  The newly listed World Heritage value forests are the places that he has worked tirelessly to defend from logging.”

“Those people who are aware of environmental destruction are morally compelled to highlight this. In the face of Government ineptitude and a short-sighted industry, this often calls for non-violent protest in order to prevent the loss of unique forests,” Jenny Weber said.

“If it wasn’t for people like Nishant, the Upper Florentine Valley would have been riddled with 15 clearfells, and instead remains an intact ecosystem of tall eucalyptus forest that is World Heritage listed,” Jenny Weber said.

“The State Liberal Party is proposing new laws for mandatory sentences and big fines for protesters and conservation organisations if they are elected to government.  This type of disproportionate, heavy-handed crackdown on the environment movements is designed to push a political agenda. People will remain committed to being on the frontline defending the environment as long as it is being destroyed,” Jenny Weber said.

We will conduct a prisoner support campaign for Nish, which will include posting him letters while Nish is in prison.

Forestry Tasmania jobs are on the line as the Liberal party prepare to slash millions of dollars from the troubled company.

Australian Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt's dreadful proposal to excise intact forests of tall eucalyptus from the far south, Esperance, Picton, Weld, Snowy ranges, Lune and Hastings - and that is just the Huon region.

Forest Stewardship Council public stakeholder consultation forum - Seeking feedback on the draft International Generic Indicators and the first phase of developing the Australian National FSC Forestry Management Standard.