Tasmania’s forests breakthrough?

A breakthrough in the decades-old community campaign for Tasmania's wild forests should follow the logging industry's hard times, Leader of the Australian Greens Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

"The industry and forest campaigners have had weeks of talks. Both the state and federal governments are in the box seat to help get industrial logging out of native forests and to give national parks protection to the highest conservation-value forests and wildlife habitats. The Australian Greens are right behind an historic outcome like Geoff Gallop's Labor government achieved in Western Australia in 2004," he said.

The Greens' national Deputy Leader Senator Christine Milne reiterated the Greens' call for forests and woodlands to be protected as carbon stores as part of Australia's response to climate change.

"If we stop the destruction of our native forests and woodlands we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 15-20%," Senator Milne said.

Senator Milne also reaffirmed the Greens' opposition to Gunns' proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill.

"A social licence - community agreement - is basic to future downstream manufacturing in Tasmania. But years of advocacy by the Greens is moving closer to seeing Tasmania's iconic forests getting the World Heritage status they deserve," she said.

Media Contact: Peter Stahel 0459 133 597 / 02 6277 3618