The Greens’ refusal to acknowledge Lapoinya as a regrowth forest, set aside as a Permanent Timber Production Zone, by both houses of Parliament is deceitful.
In Tasmania we are proud of our world-class environmental record. More than 50 per cent of Tasmania’s forested land is in either formal or informal reserves, with over one million hectares of old growth forest in reserves.
The Greens’ actions directed at harvesting operations in the North West of our State are incredibly disheartening for a community which has spoken loudly, strongly backing our sustainable forestry industry at the last election.
These operations are in the Permanent Timber Production Zone – the area set aside by Parliament after consultation with the environmental movement specifically to support production forestry in perpetuity.
The Greens cannot be trusted. They move the goalposts to suit their anti-jobs agenda and they disingenuously use the Integrity Commission as a political ploy.
Tasmanians have not forgotten or forgiven the infamous Labor-Green love affair, which cost our forestry industry 4000 jobs. That’s two out of three jobs.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is the strongest supporter of our world-class, renewable forestry industry, which contributes around $1.2 billion to the Tasmanian economy and provides more than 5,700 direct and indirect jobs, many in regional areas.