AU$2m To Fight Illegal Logging

4 October 2007
The Australian Government has pledged an initial $2 million funding to help end illegal logging in overseas countries.
Federal Forestry Minister Senator Eric Abetz launched the Government’s policy on illegal logging in Tasmania on 3 October.
The chief executive of the National Association of Forest Industries Catherine Murphy welcomed the policy and highlighted the lead role the forest industry is taking in promoting the legal and sustainable management of the world’s forests.
“Australia’s forest managers are among the best in the world. Around 9 million ha of our forests have achieved environmental certification through the Australian Forestry Standard (AFS),” Murphy said. “This standard is internationally recognised though the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
“If adopted by overseas countries, Australia’s high standards of sustainable forest management would ensure that more of the world’s forests are managed in a legally and sustainable manner.”
Murphy also backed the Minister in agreeing that a blanket ban on illegal timber imports was an impractical approach to dealing with the problem.
“Australia’s economy has a $2 billion trade deficit in forest and wood products due to state government policies of continuously locking-up sustainably-managed native forests.
“This has unfortunately resulted in a reliance on imported forest and wood products. However, Australia’s forest industry is leading by example in developing our own strict environmental guidelines such as the AFS, as well as establishing plantations and high-tech value-adding facilities.
“Working with other countries to assist them in developing forest policies and demonstrating Australia’s high standards of forest certification and sustainable forest management practices is an effective way of preventing illegal logging.”

Gunns Threaten To Axe Mill Project

John Gay, executive chairman of Gunns Ltd, has warned the Federal Government not to impose new restrictions or changes on the company's proposed $1.9 billion pulp mill in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley.
Gay said in an interview on 2 October he could not work with any "tougher permits" if imposed by the Government. He appeared poised to axe the project if federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull this week makes its approval conditional on tougher marine effluent controls.
Gay said that if tougher restrictions for the mill were insisted on by the Howard Government, it was evidence Turnbull was opposed to the project.
"If we can't meet the conditions he wants, or he wants changes, it means Turnbull doesn't want the mill," Gay said. "I can't work with any tougher permits. This mill, as it is, meets the science. I can guarantee that."
Gay expressed confidence the commonwealth chief scientist Jim Peacock could not have found flaws in the mill's design or environmental controls when he assessed the project against national environmental laws.

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