The Greens have today launched a plan to protect lutruwita/Tasmania’s forests for future generations and for a safe climate, all while ensuring new job opportunities.

With states across Australia ending native logging, it’s clear the writing is on the wall for Tasmania’s native forest logging industry. The IPCC tells us our forests are the first line of defence against climate change and must be protected. Native forest logging is destroying biodiversity and undermining climate action, and consumers are waking up to the damage.

The Greens have called for an end to native forest logging in addition to plantation forestry reform following the Morrison Government’s announcement today about increasing its self-reliance on wood supply. 

Quotes attributable to Greens Senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson:

“It’s no surprise that the Liberal Party is announcing another taxpayer-subsidised lifeline to support the loss-making forestry industry in Tasmania prior to an election.

A Senate Inquiry that investigated Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approvals has used key Tasmanian case studies to blast the Federal Government and demonstrate why reform is desperately needed to restore public confidence in foreign investment.

The Greens have called on Environment Minister Sussan Ley to protect Tasmanian devils from becoming mining-industry roadkill by rejecting Venture Minerals’ application to vary the EPBC approval for its Riley Creek mine in the takayna/Tarkine region.

The EDO Tasmania has launched legal action on behalf of conservationists to stop Venture Minerals from trucking ore at night along the 112kms stretch of critical Tasmanian devil habitat.

Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson commented on the defeat in the senate today of a motion calling on the Treasurer to put additional conditions on the approval of the sale of VDL diary to Moon Lake.

“Our foreign investment laws aren’t worth the paper they are written on if the government can’t monitor, audit or enforce undertakings made by foreign purchases of agricultural land or iconic businesses.

“If any investor fails to meet undertakings given at purchase and these undertakings won’t be enforced by our government, our laws are failing the national interest.

Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, is calling on the federal Environment Minister, Josh Frydenberg, to break his silence on Macquarie Harbour and to publicly release the audit report sitting on his desk.

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said, “Is it too much to ask to have a federal Environment Minister who actually wants to protect the environment? There is ongoing damage to the World Heritage Area in Macquarie Harbour from overstocking of fish farms and the Minister has remained silent.