Timberlands' CEO Dave Hilliard's confirmation of beech milling contracts only days before Labour announced they would end Timberlands' native beech logging is highly suspicious says Native Forest Action.

"If we are to believe that Timberlands signed contracts for milling beech at the same time as rimu contracts were signed, one must question why it has taken so long to announce them. Native Forest Action suspects the contracts have been stitched together more recently and backdated," said Native Forest Action spokesperson Dean Baigent-Mercer.

"The beech and rimu supply contracts were signed hurredly and spitefully only days before Labour made their policy commitment to end native forest logging in West Coast public forests. This manoeuvre would be consistant with Timberlands' previous devious corporate behaviour documented to keep native rainforest logging going at any cost."

"How presumptious of Timberlands to sign away up to 58,000m3 of beech over the next eight years when they don't even have resource consent to begin. This is as low and unscrupulous as it gets."

Native Forest Action would like to see the next government eliminate Timberlands West Coast Ltd and deal to the spite rimu and beech milling contracts in a way that will end government logging of native forests forever as speedily as possible.

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