Hobart protest rally calls for end to native forest logging in Tasmania, as Liberals vow to increase timber harvest   

ABC News
March 16 2024



In short: With the state election looming, the Tasmanian Liberals have vowed they plan to ramp up the logging of Tasmania's native forests, dismissing the call to end the practice as an "anti-jobs pledge".
Thousands have taken to the streets of Hobart in a 'March For Forests' rally organised by the Bob Brown Foundation, who say there is a "swing away" from both the Liberals and Labor due to their endorsement of logging.

Less than a week from Tasmania's state election, thousands of people have marched in Hobart in protest against the logging of native forests, with veteran wilderness campaigner Bob Brown saying "our job is to get rid of the Earth destroyers".   

Parts of the CBD were closed to traffic on Sunday morning because of the large crowd, which marched down Murray Street to the lawns of parliament, demanding an end to the practice.


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The 'March For Forests' rally, organised by the Bob Brown Foundation, called on the major parties to follow the lead of Western Australia and Victoria – the only two states to end to end the logging of native forests.

Anti-logging campaigner and former federal Greens leader Brown said the protest was the "biggest pre-election crowd" that he had ever seen.

"We expected 500 and got more than 3,000. There is a huge move to get rid of the logging old parties. The swing away from Liberal and Labor will only grow in the coming week," he said.   

"We are Earth, and Earth is us. Our job is to get rid of the Earth destroyers."

Speaker addresses a crowd at Hobart's parliament lawns.

Liberals pledge to 'unlock' native forests for timber production
Neither the Liberals nor Labor are on-board with the push to halt timber harvesting for Tasmania's native forests.

In their policy announced in February, the Tasmanian Liberals said a "re-elected majority Rockliff Liberal government" would "unlock Tasmania's native forestry 'wood bank', providing an up to 10 per cent boost in the annual supply of high-quality sawlog to Tasmanian sawmillers".

"The Liberals are the strongest supporters of Tasmania's high-value native forestry industry, backing in Tasmanian sawmillers, contractors, and local jobs," Liberal Leader Jeremy Rockliff said.


Protesters set up platforms on the Organ Pipes at Mount Wellington/kunanyi on Saturday to draw attention to Sunday's by 'March for Forests' event.
Nineteen Tasmanians banned from all native forestry areas after logging protests
Tasmania's native forestry estate covers 812,000 hectares, but 19 people have been banned from entering any of it — indefinitely.

A woman holds up a notice while standing in front of forests.

The Tasmanian Liberals said if returned to government they would "make available up to 40,000 hectares" of the native forest "wood bank" and "make available an additional wood basket of up to 158,000 cubic metres of high-quality sawlog to Tasmanian industry".

In addition to their forest policy, the Tasmanian Liberals, while in government, enacted what have been described as "anti-protest" laws, which in February resulted in 19 Tasmanians receiving indefinite bans from entering any of the state's public native forestry estate — an area covering 812,000 hectares — after they protested logging activity.

Labor has promised, if elected after the March 23 poll, to launch an independent review into the state's native and plantation forests available for logging.

It will also stop the current plantation sawlog expression of interest process being conducted by Sustainable Timber Tasmania.

Climber protest against native forest logging in Tasmania.
Saturday's Organ Pipes protest action was a joint exercise with "members of Tasmania's climb community", the Bob Brown Foundation said.(Supplied: Bob Brown Foundation)
Liberals announce plan to open more forests to logging
The Tasmanian Forest Products Association says the Liberals are using the industry as a "political football". 

Four people stand in front of heavy machinery and fallen timber logs.

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I'm surprised there is anything left to cut down in Tasmania?
Even the 50m wide stretches of Forest along major roads being left, to HIDE the vast tracks of deforestation behind them (John Howard trick) - is no longer really working to convince people.

80% of Australia has been De-forested in just 200+ years.
80% !!!