Old growth forests in the Tarkine could be logged by private companies under plans being considered by the Tasmanian government to reverse a moratorium on harvesting 400,000ha of high conservation value forests. The forests were part of 500,000ha protected under the forest peace deal signed by the former Labor government in 2013, which would have seen them eventually gazetted into national parks. That deal was ripped up by the Hodgman Liberal government when it came to power in 2014, and the 400,000ha of future forest reserves were rebadged as future potential production forests, to remain formally in reserves until 2020. Tasmanian government rips up 'job-destroying' forestry peace deal Read moreIn a condition of the forest peace deal that remains in place, Forestry Tasmania has been guaranteed a minimum harvest quota of 137,000 cubic metres a year. The minimum wood supply was an “expensive greenwash” by Labor and the Greens, who co-authored the now defunct forestry agreement, and that extra supply would “enable [Forestry Tasmania] to stand on its own feet”.

Source: The Guardian October 13, 2016 04:52 UTC