The decision in Canberra today will have a big impact on Lutruwita / Tasmania’s forests. While Labor’s legislation isn’t perfect, the Greens-negotiated changes to the federal environment laws undo the Howard Government’s exemption for forestry.
This is a big step forward for native forest protection on this island. This is a direct result of decades of tireless campaigning of conservationists and an increasing community distaste for native forest logging.
The southern forests and Eastern Tiers are important habitat for the critically endangered swift parrot. The Central Highlands are home to Tasmanian devils, masked owls and wedge-tailed eagles – all listed species under federal legislation.
The Liberals’ extreme reaction to the announcement from Canberra makes it clear just how worried they are about what it means for their pro-logging agenda.
Like many conservationists and nature lovers, we’re deeply concerned the Liberals will be cheering on a smash and grab in the forests in the next 18 months. We saw it in NSW before they declared the Great Koala National Park, it can’t happen in Tasmania with the swift parrot’s habitat.
Bringing forests back into basic environmental protection is a step towards saving the swift parrot. Much of that legal protection, however, won’t come into play for another year and a half – we can’t let the Liberals log it to extinction in that time.
Minister Felix Ellis’ unrestrained rants about federal law changes today will not give anyone any comfort. The Greens will continue to do everything we can to end native forest logging and, of course, protect the swift parrot.
