Guy Barnett,Minister for Resources
The Tasmanian Government is a strong supporter of our forestry industry because we know it is well managed and sustainable and supports thousands of jobs in regional communities.
As the Government works to rebuild the Tasmanian economy, we are protecting Tasmanian jobs and communities while sustainably managing our forests.
Unfortunately, the anti-jobs Greens want to put thousands of Tasmanians out of a job, destroying families and rural communities.
The Greens blatantly refuse to accept the demonstrated fact that Tasmania's timber sector is the ultimate sustainable industry.
They refuse to accept the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that sustainable forest management has significant carbon management, social and economic benefits.
To quote the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land, which was released in August 2019:
"Sustainable forest management can maintain or enhance forest carbon stocks, and can maintain forest carbon sinks, including by transferring carbon to wood products."
and:
"Where wood carbon is transferred to harvested wood products, these can store carbon over the long-term and can substitute for emissions-intensive materials reducing emissions in other sectors.''
Our timber products store carbon absorbed from the atmosphere, making wood the ultimate renewable – a resource for future generations that is also helping tackle climate change.
Tasmanian forests are sustainably managed with some of the most stringent environmental protections in the world.
The Tasmanian Government and Sustainable Timber Tasmania are committed to achieving FSC certification and while there is still further work to do, STT is getting on with the job.
Tasmanians can be proud of our responsible, sustainable Forest Management System and the Government's commitment to continually improve practices while supporting the sector which employs thousands of Tasmanians, injects more than $1.2 billion into our economy and supports regional communities and families.
