Slopes near Ben Lomond, Mt Arthur slated for logging in Tasmanian government 9,000ha forestry push, claim green groups

ABC NEWS (Australia)

New right-to-information documents show the state government has identified five parcels of native forest, totalling nearly 10,000 hectares, that it wants to make available for logging at short notice. The parcels were set aside as future reserve land under the 2012 Tasmanian Forests Agreement but reclassified as Future Potential Production Forest by the Liberals in the lead up to last year's election. While the location of the five forestry parcels has been kept secret, the Tasmanian Greens and the Wilderness Society say they have identified them and estimated the area to be 9,557 hectares.

Transcript

00:00This forest near Mount Arthur in North East Tasmania is very important to locals.

00:08It's special because it is full of wildlife, it is nature, it is accessible.

00:15But more than a decade after it was set aside as reserve land as part of the forest peace

00:20deal, the community fears the government again intends to log it.

00:24Look, it worries us on many fronts.

00:26It worries us that the community will be divided.

00:29It worries us with the biodiversity.

00:31New Right to Information documents show the government has identified five areas totalling

00:369,557 hectares that it wants to log, plus two contingency lots.

00:43Where they are is redacted, but green groups say they've identified the five priority

00:48lots.

00:49Two near Mount Arthur, two west of Ben Lomond and one near Mount Barrow.

00:54These forests are incredibly special.

00:56They should be properly protected.

00:59They are going to be logged and burned if Forestry Tasmania has its way.

01:03In 2014, the Liberals reclassified the reserve forest into future potential production forest,

01:09or what they call a wood bank.

01:11To be able to be logged at short notice, it needs to be reclassified again.

01:16I am unaware of which parcels of land have been identified, but if there is any land

01:21at any time that is identified for conversion, it will become before Parliament.

01:25The documents show many of the lots include wedge-tailed eagle nests and threatened or

01:30endangered native vegetation.

01:32An Aboriginal Heritage Assessment also found one of the lots includes a known rock shelter

01:37with stone artefacts.

01:39But it's not clear if that's in one of the five priority sites or a contingency lot.

01:44Aboriginal heritage is those forests.

01:47It's not just what you find in caves and in middens.

01:50Those forests are our heritage.

01:53In Mount Arthur, locals are preparing to step up the fight, holding community meetings next week.

01:58I think the community is worried, but I also know that for us, this is a really important

02:04issue and we will go on the front line again for this.

02:07A battle revisited more than a decade later.

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