We need Greens in Parliament as forest guarantee
Yesterday was a very important day for Tasmania's magnificent forests. Now we need to elect more Greens to act as a forest guarantee in the Parliament.
Thanks in part to sustained pressure from Greens supporters across the country, saving Tasmania's forests has been one of the major issues of this election campaign. Finally, it looks like the ALP is listening to the 85% of Australians calling for an end to old-growth logging in Tasmania.
Until yesterday, the Greens were the only party to release a plan to save Tasmania's old-growth forests whilst creating jobs. Our strategy provides for nearly 900 jobs and an end to old-growth logging.
Key points from the Greens' plan are:
- An end to the clearing of native forest for plantations on public and private land
- An immediate increase in the price of native forest chip logs to parity with plantation wood
- Setting aside suitable areas of public native forest to produce small volumes of high quality and specialty timbers in perpetuity
- Processing wood from existing plantations in Tasmania into a diverse range of products, and
- Developing tourism based on Tasmania's iconic forests and unique wildlife.
For the full story on the Greens' plan to save Tasmania's forests, visit:
http://www.greens.org.au/15103
Now Mark Latham has released a plan to impose a one-year moratorium on 240,000 hectares of Tasmania's high conservation value forests and institute a review process with a view to permanent protection.
For the Greens' response to Labor's plan, visit:
http://www.greens.org.au/04113
Last night Senator Bob Brown was interviewed on the Lateline program on ABC TV. He spoke extensively about this issue. For a transcript of the interview, visit:
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2004/s1212910.htm
Any day, John Howard is expected to announce the Coalition's Tasmanian forests policy. Hopefully he will also announce a plan to protect high conservation value forests, so that the forests will be protected no matter who wins government.
Irrespective of what promises are made, we need to elect more Greens to the Parliament to make sure that those promises are kept. The best way of ensuring that promises become reality is to put more Greens in Parliament.
Regards,
Andrew Burke
National Campaign Coordinator
Australian Greens
5/10/04
Thanks in part to sustained pressure from Greens supporters across the country, saving Tasmania's forests has been one of the major issues of this election campaign. Finally, it looks like the ALP is listening to the 85% of Australians calling for an end to old-growth logging in Tasmania.
Until yesterday, the Greens were the only party to release a plan to save Tasmania's old-growth forests whilst creating jobs. Our strategy provides for nearly 900 jobs and an end to old-growth logging.
Key points from the Greens' plan are:
- An end to the clearing of native forest for plantations on public and private land
- An immediate increase in the price of native forest chip logs to parity with plantation wood
- Setting aside suitable areas of public native forest to produce small volumes of high quality and specialty timbers in perpetuity
- Processing wood from existing plantations in Tasmania into a diverse range of products, and
- Developing tourism based on Tasmania's iconic forests and unique wildlife.
For the full story on the Greens' plan to save Tasmania's forests, visit:
http://www.greens.org.au/15103
Now Mark Latham has released a plan to impose a one-year moratorium on 240,000 hectares of Tasmania's high conservation value forests and institute a review process with a view to permanent protection.
For the Greens' response to Labor's plan, visit:
http://www.greens.org.au/04113
Last night Senator Bob Brown was interviewed on the Lateline program on ABC TV. He spoke extensively about this issue. For a transcript of the interview, visit:
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2004/s1212910.htm
Any day, John Howard is expected to announce the Coalition's Tasmanian forests policy. Hopefully he will also announce a plan to protect high conservation value forests, so that the forests will be protected no matter who wins government.
Irrespective of what promises are made, we need to elect more Greens to the Parliament to make sure that those promises are kept. The best way of ensuring that promises become reality is to put more Greens in Parliament.
Regards,
Andrew Burke
National Campaign Coordinator
Australian Greens
5/10/04
Starmail - 5. Okt, 17:02
