By Mike Foley
A political clash over native forest logging is looming for the federal government following its commitment to an international treaty to boost protections for nature, with key crossbench senators declaring Australia must now end the union-backed industry.
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek represented Australia at a United Nations environment summit in Montreal, where 196 countries committed to protect 30 per cent of the world’s land and water – in line with Australia’s existing policy – to safeguard biodiversity and halt extinctions of wildlife by 2050.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young and independent Senator David Pocock both welcomed Australia’s commitment to the deal, but singled out native forest logging as a key environmental threat that must be addressed if Australia is to hold up its end of the global agreement.
Logging is a key risk to the survival of endangered species such as koalas, greater gliders and Leadbeater’s possum.
“The protection of native forests will be crucial for Australia to meet our global commitments. That means stopping logging in native forests and also stopping mining in places like the Tarkine (in Tasmania),” Hanson-Young said.
“The spotlight will now be on Australia to protect koala habitat. That means the protection of our native forests, that’s going to be front and centre.”
Pocock said the government’s reform agenda would take time but it should act now to end native forest logging, including the development of plans to help workers transition to new industries.
“Environmental laws should be updated now to remove any exemption to their application to Regional Forest Agreements,” he said.