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The signing of the Conservation Agreement provides certainty to Forestry Tasmania, FT employees, contractors and customers, while the independent verification of ENGO proposed high conservation value forests continues under the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement.
The Board of Forestry Tasmania decided that the Agreement should be signed after being satisfied that FT would still be in a position to meet its legal, contractual, fiduciary and environmental obligations.
Importantly, Forestry Tasmania will be able to maintain supply to sawmills and processors, protecting those businesses and their employees.
Hopefully, the Agreement will provide clarification and reassurance to international markets, which have been subjected to attack from green groups.
The Conservation Agreement confirms FT's previous advice that harvesting in a number of coupes within the 430,000 hectares will be required during the independent verification process, if FT is to continue to honour its legally enforceable wood supply agreements.
However, Forestry Tasmania had previously estimated that it would require 10 to 15 coupes per month within the 430,000 hectares. When the Conservation Agreement was extended from beyond December to June 30, that meant there would have been 60 additional coupes required. Through the hard work of FT planners, the number of coupes has been reduced to 12 - or three a month.
In total, these coupes represent less than half of one per cent of the total area identified for interim protection.
FT believes the Agreement is an equitable outcome for all stakeholders. It provides a clear ‘road map’ that allows all signatories to move forward during this period.
Conservation Agreement
Acting Premier’s media statement
Tony Burke’s media statement
