Sunday March 20th marked a historic moment in Australian conservation, with Senator Bob Brown formally presenting his Tasmanian property ‘Oura Oura' to Bush Heritage Australia.

You can read more about the extraordinary history of Oura Oura here.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today that the deal struck between Forestry Tasmania CEO Bob Gordon and federal independent facilitator Bill Kelty was a breach of public trust in the forest principles process.

"Mr Kelty says 'let me place on record our appreciation of Bob Gordon and Forestry Tasmania for your support in this difficult process' - no mention of environmentalists."

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says he is alarmed that Tasmania's forest moratorium is no longer a moratorium.

"Logging will not be stopped, as agreed, in all high conservation value forests by 15 March. The loggers have breached the agreement," Senator Brown said.

"The loggers' agreement to a 'full' moratorium from the 15 March now comes with strings attached to the public purse. And rather than reduce the scale of forest destruction, it is to be transferred to other
forests at taxpayers' expense.

The Australian Greens will not accept taxpayers' money being diverted into Gunns' Tamar Valley pulp mill proposal, Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

"More than $1 billion of public funds has gone to Tasmanian loggers in the past 25 years and yet thousands of jobs have been jettisoned by the same companies." 

"If established, a pulp mill will create just 300 jobs at a time that the Tasmanian Treasurer is flagging 1000 jobs being shed due to budget stringencies."

Greens Leader Bob Brown, along with local residents and organisations, has made a submission to the Marine Planning Panel’s review of Tassal’s request to expand its Soldiers Point salmon farm, which held a public hearing in Hobart today.

“Many of these submissions expressed serious concerns about antibiotic use, damage to the marine environment, sustainability and noise. However, the planning authority’s written response to these submissions had too little scientific basis and too much unsubstantiated opinion," Senator Brown said.

The federal government's pledge to fund the flawed Three Capes proposal should be spent on much needed improvements to existing tracks in the Tasman National Park and elsewhere, Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

"The state of tracks in Tasmania's national parks, including the Tasman National Park, is way behind, for example, the standards in New Zealand. Track building provides much needed employment and also opens up parks so people can appreciate these beautiful areas," Senator Brown said.

I join with the previous speakers in supporting this motion wherein the Senate acknowledges the extraordinary destruction, death and anguish that have come to so many parts of this great country of ours in recent months through floods, cyclones and fires. The total toll can now be measured in more than 40 lives; more than 40,000 homes destroyed or inundated by flood waters; and a monetary cost of at least $12 billion in damage concentrated on a small part of the Australian population.

Dams can increase the risk of flooding and impose irreversible changes that damage forests, wetlands, fisheries and farmland, nor should the devastating Queensland floods cause any delay to Murray-Darling reforms, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Dams may prevent smaller floods but can increase damage during exceptionally large floods when severe weather events cause a sudden release of water," Senator Brown said.

"Tony Abbott's plan is ill-conceived."

"Australia's flood history shows that major floods can top dams built in their way."