Our renewable, sustainable forestry industry contributes around $1.2 billion to the Tasmanian economy and provides more than 5,700 direct and indirect jobs, many in regional areas.

At the same time we are proud of our world-class environmental record. More than 50 per cent of Tasmania is in either formal or informal reserves, with over 80 per cent of our old growth forests protected.

That's why the recent actions directed at harvesting operations on the West Coast were so disappointing. These operations were in the Permanent Timber Production Zone - the area set aside by Parliament after consultation with the environmental movement specifically to support production forestry in perpetuity.

Tasmania is celebrated for its high-calibre products, including its beautiful timber. The vast majority are sourced from sustainable plantations and production forests, including a small amount of selectively harvested specialty timbers.

The selective harvest of only 60 trees out of an estimated 25,000 in one of our production coupes will be used for specialty timber products - this includes decorative timber, furniture and craft trades - boutique products which are world renowned.

Protesters who blatantly ignored workplace safety standards and put themselves and forestry workers at risk on the West Coast, added insult to injury, by falsely claiming they prevented Sustainable Timber Tasmania from finishing its harvest.

It is on the public record that the reason operations ended was because the harvesting of timber that was required, was complete. What the protestors did manage to achieve, however, was an unnecessary drain on police search and rescue resources, and the prevention of forestry workers from undertaking rehabilitation work, which protects soil and water values.

It is time for the Bob Brown Foundation and its allies to respect the democratic process. The Greens took their Tarkine lock-up to the state election and received less than four percent of the Braddon vote - the people who would be most affected and they rejected it out of hand.

Our Government has a plan to grow our economy and create jobs. We understand the importance of working together to manage our renewable, sustainable, world-class forestry industry. There is no place for deliberate misinformation and sabotage. Tasmanians deserve better and our hard working industry deserves our support.