The state’s opposition parties and environmental groups are warning that the state’s long history of forestry wars will be re-ignited through the government’s plan to save its forestry business.
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Resources Minister Guy Barnett has announced the government would shrink Forestry Tasmania, shed 35 more jobs, and separate its commercial and non-commercial obligations.
He said he would move legislation to allow 357,000 hectares of forested areas, previously reserved under the Tasmanian Forests Agreement, to be accessed for logging from July 2018.
Mr Barnett said Forestry Tasmania would be renamed Sustainable Timber Tasmania from July 1 and would be able to use money from the sales of its pulpwood plantations to assist in its restructure to a “leaner, more efficient and more agile” business.
Opposition Leader Bryan Green said his party backed a bipartisan approach within the forest industry which would ensure timber projects were marketable internationally.
“What they are doing is potentially jeopardising FSC certification in their approach,” Mr Green said.
He accused the government of leaving Forestry Tasmania vulnerable in the future by selling off 30,000 hectares of plantation for short-term gain.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the public would still subsidise the company’s non-commercial functions like roads and land management and that the government was deliberately inciting a new forests war.
“Tasmanians don’t want to a return to conflict but the Liberals are inflicting this upon us because they want a fight in the lead up to the next election,” Ms O’Connor said.
“They think a return to the conflict of the past will suit their political purposes.”
Markets For Change chief executive Peg Putt said opening up the 357,000 hectares of reserved area put the industry at huge risk of international reputational damage.
Forest Industries Association of Tasmania chief executive Terry Edwards said the organisation’s members would meet to discuss the government’s plans on Friday, adding there were a number of issues that caused concern.
Wilderness Society spokesman Vica Bayley said a ReachTel poll on Monday night of 1276 Tasmanians found that just 24.8 per cent believed Forestry Tasmania should undertake more logging.
