Logjam

TASMANIANS have seen it all before. Federal politicians, lured by the bait of green voters in urban marginal seats, announce that they will save Tasmania's old growth forests.

Mark Latham's announcement yesterday of another massive increase in no-go areas of Tasmania for the logging industry and $800 million to help workers and business affected by the lock-up will no doubt attract urban greens, but do nothing to end the bitter forestry debate that bedevils Tasmania. Bob Hawke set up an inquiry into Tasmania's forests in 1987 and used the results to lock up thousands of hectares of high conservation value forests. Green groups supported Hawke in droves in the 1990 election.

In 1994, Paul Keating attempted to end the annual fight between loggers and the conservation movement by announcing an exhaustive research and consultation process that would result in a 20-year Commonwealth-Tasmania Regional Forest Agreement.

That process resulted in the signing of the RFA by John Howard and then Tasmanian Premier Tony Rundle in 1997. This agreement was meant to provide long-term security for the timber industry and acceptance by the conservation movement of the environmental outcomes.

The RFA has never been accepted by Bob Brown's Green Party, and the Wilderness Society. For Brown, every other political issue is secondary to conserving more of Tasmania's trees. The Wilderness Society runs successful emotive fundraising campaigns about ancient trees being slaughtered.

On the other hand, the biggest forestry company in Tasmania, Gunns, has not helped the timber industry's cause through its belligerent attitude to conservationists.

And until recently, Forestry Tasmania, the government run timber company, has been exempt from Freedom of Information laws, encouraging allegations of secrecy and corruption.

Latham has missed an opportunity to advance the forest debate in Tasmania with his politically expedient announcement yesterday. Another federal intervention in Tasmania, without any state government support, only perpetuates the bickering of the extremists on both sides, in the same way that the RFA process and Hawke's intervention in 1990 did.

Tasmania and Canberra need to work co-operatively to ensure a more prosperous future for the state.

A partnership approach to forestry, rather than another politically charged battle would make a lot more sense.

Greg Barns is a former Tasmanian and Federal (Liberal) Government adviser and a weekly columnist with the Hobart Mercury. He is a member of the Australian Democrats. This article is in today's Brisbane Courier Mail.

Tuesday, October 5, 2004

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