MORE than 100 submissions will be considered by an inquiry into the forest peace deal laws.
Such is the demand for the inquiry, set up by the Legislative Council, that a hearing will be held in Launceston next month.
As of yesterday, 117 submissions had been made to the inquiry into the Tasmanian Forests Agreement Bill. MLCs will continue taking evidence from witnesses in Hobart today.
Committee chairman and Huon MLC Paul Harriss said he still expected to report back by the time Parliament resumed in March.
"I'm not surprised at all (at the number of submissions)," Mr Harriss said.
"People have been angry about the lack of opportunity to have input, so they are basically saying thank goodness there's finally an opportunity here."
The Examiner revealed yesterday that a key forestry industry group plans to ask the Legislative Council to reject a raft of amendments designed to speed up protection of 385,000 hectares of forest.
The changes proposed by the state government would immediately protect swathes of forests, rather than waiting for a separate set of regulations to be considered by Parliament.
Forest Industries Association of Tasmania chief executive Terry Edwards will ask the Legislative Council to reject those amendments, and said he wasn't the only industry signatory to object to them.
Fears are mounting that the inquiry will delay the nomination of proposed reserves for World Heritage status and prompt environment groups to abandon the fragile deal.
Mr Edwards, who will reappear before the inquiry today, said he supported a World Heritage nomination but wanted aspects of the deal that benefited industry to happen at the same time.
Premier Lara Giddings said that while talks with signatories were continuing, certain deadlines must be met. "We're in open conversation with the signatories to ensure that they are comfortable with the amendments, " she said.