Tasmania's protected forests to be logged as peace deal dismantled

The new Tasmanian Government plans to open up large swathes of protected forests with legislation to repeal the Tasmanian Forest Agreement that will set aside 400,000 hectares of forest reserves for future harvesting.

However, in a move designed to calm environmental groups, the harvesting will be subject to a six-year freeze.

Tasmanian Resources Minister Paul Harriss has insisted that the Tasmanian Liberal Party's pre-election promise to rip up the forest peace deal would grow the industry.

Minister Harriss said he would start working with industry to create a new forest strategy based on science, telling the ABC "this is an elegant solution to growing this important industry while importantly protecting our markets and continuing the achievement of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification."

The Minister said none of the almost $400 million in government funding attached to the forest peace deal would have to be repaid, adding "we have no control over what's been spent. What we do have control over is what we're doing into the future."

The Tasmanian Forest Agreement had protected half a million hectares of forest from logging in return for millions of dollars in assistance to the struggling timber industry.

More than 120,000 hectares was added to the World Heritage List last year, but the Federal Government is trying to reverse protection for 74,000 hectares.

The Tasmanian Government now wants to open up the remaining trees, some 400,000 hectares, to logging.

Last week, the Tasmanian Government signed off on a plan to impose a six-year freeze while state-owned Forestry Tasmania attempts to secure FSC certification.

However, it is a move that is expected to reignite Tasmania's forest wars.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne says no-one will buy the wood harvested from areas that have been deemed to have high conservation value, stating "this is ideological; take forests out of protection, destroy the biodiversity, end any sense of peace in the forests, simply to deliver on a claim that they can cut it down and ship it away.

"They can't, they've got no market."

1st April 2014 - TASMANIAN WORLD HERITAGE AREA DELISTING BREACHES INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS