Tasmania’s forest peace deal is in jeopardy and the state’s power-sharing government faces a major split, after Labor backed changes to the landmark agreement strongly opposed by green groups. Sources: The Australian, ABC
The Wilderness Society told The Australian that the upper house amendment to the legislation underpinning the forest peace deal threw the historic pact “into jeopardy”.
The Greens, who have two ministers in a power-sharing cabinet with Labor, withheld support for the amendment, setting the scene for a potential split between the alliance partners on a major policy issue.
Rather than face the embarrassment of the legislation being voted down or significantly amended against its will, state Labor backed a key, controversial change.
Put forward by independent Liberal upper house MP Tony Mulder and passed eight votes to five, it delays the creation of 272,000 hectares of proposed new forest reserve until October 2014.
Eight MLCs, including the Government’s Craig Farrell, have supported Mulder’s push to postpone the permanent protection of the forests until at least the end of October 2014.
Even then, this lion’s share of new reserves would only be formalised if the timber industry were granted full, topflight green certification for its products.
Wilderness Society campaign manager Vica Bayley told The Australian his group — a key signatory to last year’s Tasmanian Forest Agreement — would consider dumping or modifying support for industry in the wake of the amendment.
“We’re still committed to the agreement but this legislation is now not implementing the agreement — they (the legislative councillors) have collectively chosen to take a different path,” he said.
“This is a diversion from the agreement and as a result it throws it all into jeopardy.
“I haven’t got a definitive answer that we’re going to walk away with our hands in the air, or reject it, but we clearly have to consider our options.”
Federal Greens leader Christine Milne said the Legislative Council had “driven a bulldozer” through the forest deal.
State Greens leader Nick McKim said his party would withhold judgment on the amended legislation until it had seen its final shape.
The Greens could break with Labor by seeking to remove the amendments from the legislation if it passes the Legislative Council and returns to the lower house.
Labor Deputy Premier Bryan Green said his party would decide the future of the legislation after the amendments were settled.
Mulder’s amendment aims to ensure the timber industry achieves full Forest Stewardship Council certification. However, industry groups warn amendments that end green groups’ support for the sector will jeopardise FSC certification.
Industry has warned more than 100 jobs at veneer maker Ta Ann, as well as at sawmillers and the state-owned Forestry Tasmania, could be lost if the industry returns to a “war footing”.
