Standing up for Tasmania's forestry industry
It is extremely disappointing but no surprise that the latest WWF Trees Scorecard, released yesterday with the Federal Labor Government standing alongside, is little more than a thinly veiled attack on sustainable native forestry.
Minister for Resources, Felix Ellis, called on Labor to reign in the Environment Minister who seems completely at odds with the Prime Minister’s statements supposedly backing Tasmania’s native forest sector.
“This is just the latest ideologically driven attempt to attack Tasmania’s sustainable native forestry industry,” the Minister said.
“The Scorecard explicitly supports the ending of sustainable native forestry - and to make matters worse, the anti-native forestry Environmental Defender’s Office was closely involved in its compilation.
“Disappointingly, Tasmania’s well-respected independent forest practices regulator, the Forest Practices Authority, was not directly consulted as part of the report’s drafting.”
The Minister said Tasmania’s forestry sector is recognised globally as being one of the best managed and most sustainably focused forest estates in the world.
“Our approach to sustainable forestry is supported by the IPCC, Food and Agricultural Organisation and International Energy Agency,” Minister Ellis said.
“Given the Scorecard was launched with Federal Labor Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek the keynote speaker, what on earth is going on with Labor?
“Will Labor back their inner city Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, as they once again sit on the fence and try to play both sides to placate the Greens?
“Tasmanians know that the biggest risk to forestry, which is worth $1.2 billion annually to the economy of this State, is another Labor-Green Government.
“Tasmanians haven’t forgotten the Labor-Green job destroying deal that tried to shut the industry down and put hundreds of people out of work.
“Only the Rockliff Liberal Government can be trusted to stand up for Tasmania’s forestry industry.”