The Greens are calling for an immediate end to the logging of public native forests and a transition from an exploitive forestry industry to regenerative management.
Native forest logging in NSW is coming to an end. Years of destructive exploitation and the changing climate mean that there is a massive shortfall of harvestable trees for any high value use and native forest logging ran at a loss of $28 million over the last 2 years - a huge cost to NSW taxpayers.
A just transition and industry adjustment has been independently costed at $30.2 million per year over the next ten years. This would be leveraged to transition to 100% sustainable plantations which would be hugely profitable, create jobs and preserve our native forests to slow down climate change and preserve native biodiversity.
The Greens will:
- Immediately end all native forest logging on public land
- Fund the transition for workers and industry to 100% sustainable plantations
- Rehabilitate, regenerate and actively manage our public native forests creating new jobs and regional opportunities
- Hand back management of native forests to First Nations custodians whenever possible
- Create low impact recreational hubs to facilitate community engagement with public native forests