In March I wrote an open letter
to Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck in response to his online diatribe over the
World Heritage Area extension and his government’s plans to oppose the
extension. See here: http://www.findinghomebookspace.blogspot.com.au/2014_03_01_archive.html
In fairness I undertook to
publish the response but posting a legible pdf document has proved difficult.
Suffice to say that Sen Colbeck’s response referred to The Coalitions Policy for a Strong and Sustainable Forest Industry,
noted that the planned repeal didn’t relate to (then) existing national parks, admitted
that logging had degraded World Heritage values, and said that with 45 per cent
of Tasmania’s land mass protected the government considered that the right
balance between conservation and development has been achieved. I was referred
to the State of the forests Tasmania 2012
report here www.fpa.tas.gov.au
This implies three things of
significance. Firstly, the Coalition think that all of the conservation gains
for Tasmania that have led to 45 per cent of Tasmania’s land mass being in some
sort of conservation reserve were necessary to achieve “the right balance
between environmental protection and development.” What a stunning endorsement
of four decades of environmental activism!
Secondly, the Coalition agrees
with the Wilderness Society that management of state forest was degrading the
conservation values of the area contrary to claims by Forestry Tasmania.
Thirdly, there is no need for any
more conservation of anything in Tasmania
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