Sustainable Timber Tasmania has claimed that medium and high density nesting habitat has been excluded from its logging operations within the Lake Leake swift parrot important breeding zone.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But the Greens and other opponents have pointed to a recent independent audit of STT practices which found potential nesting and foraging trees had been harvested in the past, and a management plan did not stop this from occurring again.
STT was questioned during a tense government business enterprise hearing this week, including regarding its operations in three coups in the Eastern Tiers, subject of an ongoing protest by the Bob Brown Foundation.
STT chief executive officer Steve Whiteley said the "broad-based" swift parrot important breeding area contained plantation and "all sorts of land" that did not necessarily mean it was important habitat.
MORE ON THE SWIFT PARROT:
"So the fact that an area is within an important breeding area zone, doesn't imply that specific areas contain habitat," he said.
"Currently selective harvesting is occurring within the certified forest practices plan area.
"All of the high to medium density nesting habitat ... has been excluded from the operational area, and there's no observed nesting or breeding activity in the area."
STT chief operations office Suzette Weeding said a "comprehensive assessment of coups" was carried out before harvesting.
The coups contain "previously harvested dry forest", according to STT.
Greens leader Cassy O'Connor said these were not assurances that swift parrot habitat was not being logged in the three coups, given the recent audit based on Forest Stewardship Council values.
"That is critical habitat, swift parrot habitat, a bird that is down to 300 individuals that is not being protected," she said.
"[That is] the auditor saying that Forestry Tasmania has harvested nesting habitat."
What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor: