2017-08-16
The Greens have today given notice of their intention to introduce a bill to repeal the Regional Forest Agreements Act, ahead of the imminent expiry of the 20-year Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs), starting with the Tasmanian RFA which is due to expire this year.
The Greens want to scrap these logging laws, which allow for the destruction of our native forests and which are preventing us from moving our wood products industries to sustainably managed plantation sources.
The agreements were set up last century, and the Greens contend they should not be simply rolled over into new 20-year agreements, which has been the position taken by the Turnbull government.
“These outdated laws are preventing Australia from moving out of native forest logging and sending threatened species to extinction,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens spokesperson for forests.
“The RFAs contain exemptions from our national environmental protection laws, so scores of forest animals and plants are going extinct on our watch. How will the PM tell his grandchildren that he sat by while these precious species disappeared from Australia?
“It’s unacceptable that this outdated way of managing our forests can be rolled over with the flick of a pen by the Prime Minister and his state counterparts.
“We need 21st-century forest management. This includes scrapping the failed logging laws currently in place, shifting to a sustainable plantation-based wood products industry, and returning federal environmental protections to native forests.
“The first step is recognising that these logging laws aren’t protecting our forests and they aren’t protecting a long-term sustainable wood products industry.”