Tasmania’s Forests: World Heritage Not Woodchips

Tasmania’s Forests: World Heritage Not Woodchips

This morning in the centre of Auckland conservationists will be protesting against the wood chipping of Tasmania’s rainforests. A large banner is to be displayed and a Crisis Report on the current status of Tasmania’s Southern rainforests will be delivered to the Consulate General at the Australian Embassy. These actions will be taken as part of a series of international protests.

A large banner reading “TASMANIA’S ANCIENT FORESTS, WORLD HERITAGE NOT WOODCHIPS” will be displayed around Auckland. This is being done to ensure that those policy makers involved in the decimation of Tasmania’s rainforests are aware that their actions are being closely monitored all across the globe.

Conservationists around the world are protesting against the continuing logging and the wood chipping of world heritage valued old growth forests of Tasmania.

“This action is happening today in solidarity after last month an International Day of Actions was held across the world in countries including Ireland, England, Scotland, Italy and Switzerland, and supported by banner drops off Australian parliaments and other buildings in Hobart, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide.” Said spokesperson Erik Hayward.

“In Newcastle conservationists constructed an 84 metre tree. Only trees greater than 84 metres qualify for protection as “giants”. Ancient trees that do not reach the 84 metre mark are felled and wood chipped.”

“The Australian Federal and Tasmanian State Governments are continuing well into the 21st century to obliterate the very last unprotected areas of world heritage valued old growth forest. These last stands of old growth have been deliberately left out of the World Heritage Area to facilitate their destruction.” Said spokesperson Erik Hayward.

“Despite a unanimous IUCN (International Union for Conservation and Nature) decision of 21 countries to extend existing world heritage borders to include ancient forests located in the Upper Florentine, Styx, Lower Weld Valley and Middle Huon, These forests are currently subject to industrial scale clear felling and burning.” Said spokesperson Erik Hayward.

“A recent report by Professor Brendan Mackey and Australian ANU scientists states Tasmania’s temperate old growth forests store far

more carbon than was previously thought. The study found that temperate forests store more carbon than tropical forests and that Tasmania’s
ancient forests are some of the most carbon rich forests in the world.”Said Still wild still threatened Spokesperson Erik Hayward.

“The protection of Tasmania’s ancient forests is a simple and effective strategy to help reduce the effects of catastrophic climate change and needs to be seriously considered by State and Federal Governments. The science on forests and climate change is loud and clear yet Governments continue to ignore the facts in the face of dangerous climate change as old growth forests are cleared daily.” Said spokesperson Erik Hayward.

ENDS

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