I seek your indulgence to make a short contribution which is not in my words; it is in the words of Gracie Kuylaars.Gracie gave a speech at the Forest Rally on the lawns...
The Dial Range is a marvel of the Central Coast with stunning myrtle rainforest, majestic views from several peaks, streams and waterfalls. To log it would be a travesty.
Our reporting to the national carbon accounts under the land use, land use change and forestry sector includes the carbon emission withdrawals of forests in Tasmania.
The government's committed $2 million a year over four years to threatened species. With 680 threatened species in Tasmania, that works out at just under $3000 a year per species.
During the election campaign, one or the other of the Liberals election promises to existing Forestry Tasmania customers was that there would be 158,000 cubic metres of saw logs coming to them from Future Potential Production Forest (FPPF) land, the new land that you're intending on going into. How did you arrive at such a precise figure if you haven't actually found the land that you are seeking to convert?
On the question that you've asked many times who does forestry better than Tasmania, I think one obvious answer to that is any one of the more than 1500 jurisdictions in 83 countries that have managed to achieve Forest Stewardship Certification (FSC). Tasmania has not done that. In fact, Forestry Tasmania has twice tried and failed to get FSC. The reason for that has been their continued logging of swift parrot habitat. You can laugh, but that was the evidence that was provided from the certifiers at the last attempt of Forestry Tasmania.
On the 39,000-hectare conversion of high conservation‑value public forests, this was in your 100 day plan, this proud additional destruction of our forests. Can you tell me where the process is up to exactly in the conversion? As you mentioned before, there is a stage process under the Forestry (Rebuilding the Forestry Industry) Act. It has about eight steps to it. Can you please tell the committee where the process is up to there, and can you please provide us with a map or details of the areas that are being investigated?
Given that you're not changing your position, can you please tell us, if you're successful in converting 39,000 hectares of high conservation value FPPF forests, is it your intention to convert them to PTBZ land to be managed by Forestry Tasmania?
Mr President, while we acknowledge that this bill is, in part, administrative and tidying up in nature, we do not support it. The Greens do not support this bill because it has the potential to increase habitat loss and fragmentation across our forest landscape. Also, it disempowers regional communities.
The Greens thank the courage of the peaceful forest defenders who were sentenced in the Hobart Magistrates Court today. Their commitment to protecting our island’s special places, in spite of draconian anti-protest laws designed to silence them, is inspiring.