Conservationists Say No To Woodchipper's Timetable for Southern Forests

Conservation groups today called on Premier Carr to personally intervene and dump the woodchip driven timetable for a Southern Regional Forests Agreement (RFA).

The groups, the South East Forest Alliance, are seriously concerned that the current timetable, driven by the Commonwealth's Forestry Minister Wilson Tuckey, will destroy the integrity and the public credibility of any decision by the two Governments on the Southern Forests.

SEFA spokespersons said "Undoubtedly, conservation representatives will quit the Southern Regional Forest Forum, the so called regional window for community consultation, if the Federal and NSW Governments refuse to heed the forum's united call to abandon a farcical public consultation process. The process is designed only to meet the Commonwealth's deadline of 31 December 1999 for the abolition of export woodchip licences and gives the public no real ability to understand the choices for our forests..

" Bob Carr has a realistic alternative approach in the light of Premier Beattie's refusal to allow the woodchippers and other forest vandals to drive his reforms of the Queensland logging industry",

" We would be happy to sit down with Mr Carr and see if we can turn around the situation which looks like ending up as bad as the earlier North East and Eden forest decisions. The latest fiasco and other manipulation of the assessment process means that we are seriously worried about our further involvement."

"The public consultation paper, released last week, is the worst for any RFA in Australia, worse even than that produced for the appalling Western Australian RFA"

"The community is being asked to comment on the future of their forests when no options are being presented by the Government. Unless community consultation is given higher priority than woodchipping, there can be no good faith negotiations. "

The RFA process nationally has been driven by woodchipping interests, the timetable in the Southern region proves this beyond any doubt.

"A woodchip free South Coast is still possible if the Premier is prepared to seize the opportunity."

For Further Comment:

Noel Plumb 0412 975 575 Peter Hudson 4456 4070

MEDIA RELEASE 22 October 1999

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