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Forestry Tasmania is dismayed by the latest abuse of the truth by Australian Greens leader Bob Brown.
Senator Brown today claimed 900,000 hectares of State forest would be "flattened" even if the Greens were successful in having 572,000 hectares reserved under the Tasmanian Forest Intergovernmental Agreement (TFIA).
General Manager Corporate Relations and Tourism Ken Jeffreys said it was a ridiculous claim, given that only 560,000 hectares of state owned native forest was available for wood production prior to the TFIA process even beginning, and of that only 250,000 hectares would have been logged to supply the timber industry until 2030.
"Senator Brown's proposition is that by reserving more native forest, the land available for wood production would quadruple. It is a ludicrous proposition that only a person with little or no knowledge of the forest industry or with an intention to deliberately mislead, could make.
"The facts have been well known to the signatories to the peace process, including the Wilderness Society and the Australian Conservation Foundation, because FT provided the data to Bill Kelty and it is on the public record. How Bob Brown could get it so wrong, when he has been involved in the forest debate for nigh on 30 years is puzzling."
Mr Jeffreys also took issue with Senator Brown's continual reference to destruction of the forests.
"Forestry Tasmania regenerates all of the forests it harvests. The success of our regeneration program is best demonstrated by the fact that areas previously clearfelled and regenerated are now regarded by ENGOs as high conservation value forests."
ENDS
16 January 2012
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