Specialty Timbers
 

Mr GAFFNEY (Mersey) - Mr President. Tasmania is known around the world for its beautiful environment and its wild, pristine and natural places of interest. Tourists come from around the globe to experience our waterways, rivers and lakes; beaches and bushwalks; our mountains, plateaus and forests; our native animals and plants and natural assets; and our lifestyle. Increasingly, many arrivals wish to visit our forests. Many visitors are amazed at our old and giant trees. However, tourists are often confronted and bewildered by the fact that Tasmanians, via our government in charge of protecting our state, are still allowing significant trees to be logged.

I have been presented with the following information and I consider it should be raised in the Chamber as a matter of special interest or perhaps, more correctly, a matter of special concern. How can we continue to justify logging 500-year-old trees, some of which are record breaking in size? Our actions, or lack thereof, seem to be in direct odds with Brand Tasmania's clean/green image. We should be doing much better. We need to reassess our priorities for the future of our beautiful state for the generations who follow us.

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Unfortunately, many Tasmanians still believe that the logging of old-growth and high-conservation value forests are a thing of the past. That is not correct. I have even heard political colleagues comment in this parliament that they believe this issue was cleared up through the Tasmanian Forest Agreement process. However, it has been brought to members' attention and my attention that this is far from the truth.
Apparently, the current plan, which outlines the logging schedule over the next three years, contains approximately 5000 hectares of old-growth forest and around 20 000 hectares of high-conservation value forest, which is also important breeding habitat for threatened species. For an example of the types of forests that are being logged here in Tasmania, one should look no further than the Grove of Giants in the Huon Valley. This spectacular forest is home to 150-plus trees over four metres in diameter. It takes around eight people joining hands to encircle a tree that size. The Grove also contains the best remaining stand of Tasmanian blue gums left in the state. Furthermore, last year conservationists discovered the world's largest blue gum, right in the middle of this forest. I thank the President for allowing me to display over here to my right, a picture of that enormous tree.

However, this remarkable patch of forest is also known as DN007B. It is a logging coupe that can be and is - if my information is correct - due to be destroyed this year. It is unfathomable that a forest this remarkable could be logged and a majority of the trees be turned into woodchips. This forest has much more value as a tourist hotspot. Currently, there are no free signposted sites where tourists can visit our famous giant trees in the Huon Valley. Tasmania is home to the tallest flowering trees in the world. Why are we not taking advantage of this untapped tourism resource? Giant trees are big business in other parts of the world. Just four giant redwood reserves in California bring in over $60 million per year and provide over 500 jobs to the region. Surely, tourism is a better use of our forests than sectors of the forest industry, which appears to be continually financially supported by governments. Indeed, in a media article last week, the Minister for Parks, Mr Jaensch stated:

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It is an extra 200 000 people who came to Tasmania … many of them coming here primarily to visit our parks and reserves.

He continued by saying:

Tourists that want unique experiences and are prepared to pay for something very special, which is unique across the globe.

The Grove of Giants has more value to our society than just as a tourism venture. This forest is critical habitat for a threatened species, Lathamus Keep, the giant blue gum, which can be found in the Grove of Giants and is named after the critically endangered swift parrot Lathamus discolor. The Tasmanian blue gum is an important food source for the swift parrot. The species migrates to Tasmania each year to feed on the blue gums and nest in the Tasmanian forest. The Grove of Giants is the largest remaining patch of old-growth blue gums left in the world. It has been described by swift parrot experts as one of the most important patches of habitat left for this critically endangered species.

We have a responsibility to ensure that future generations of Tasmanians have the opportunity to experience all that we have. However, I fear that may not be the case. I do believe that we must do all we can to protect significant and unique habitats, which includes our large trees. If we do not, we are being derelict in our responsibility in protecting the Tasmanian environment and indeed, our planet.

The Grove of Giants and all Tasmania's forests play an important role in the fight against climate change. These large, ancient trees store hundreds of tonnes of carbon that is released back into the atmosphere when a tree is logged. The impact that logging Tasmanian forests have on climate change is huge. Native forest logging is the highest emitting sector in Tasmania. It produces the same amount of emissions as 1.1 million cars.

Mr President, it has been stated that when native forests are logged in Tasmania, over 94 per cent of the forest ends up as woodchips and waste. Less than 6 per cent is used for materials for building houses or furniture. What are we doing, and why are we allowing this to occur? The majority of waste that is left on the site is burned and releases carbon back into the atmosphere. Woodchips are used to make temporary products, like paper and cardboard, which only store carbon for a few years.

It is imperative that we protect our native forests for our economy, our wildlife and for climate action for generations to follow. Remarkable forests like the Grove of Giants need to be protected so everyone has a chance to experience its beauty and the swift parrots have a place to feed and nest each summer.
Mr President, there is an opportunity to have a sustainable timber industry and at the same time protect the very environments which are so integral and are what makes Tasmania, Tasmania. We need to make good decisions now to protect our important environmental assets, especially in the light of the changing climatic situations we find ourselves in.