Sample Branch resolution on Tasmanian Forests

Pass this motion at your branch and send a message to Kim

The forests of Tasmania represent one of Australia's great national icons- an irreplaceable asset of international significance.

However these forests are at risk from unsustainable logging practices.

The "Tasmania Together" process, a consultative process across the state conducted by the Tasmanian Labor Government, concluded that Tasmanians sought an immediate end to clearfelling, and called for the protection of important areas such as the Styx, Tarkine and Blue Tier by January 1 2003.

The Tasmanian Government has responded by committing to ending clearfelling by 2010, and has made no commitment in relation to an end to old growth logging.

The present policy in Tasmania will see this generation destroy forever magnificent forests, containing some of the tallest hardwood trees on earth.
Accordingly, the ____________ branch calls upon the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party to:

• Protect the Tasmanian wilderness areas of greatest significance from logging. These areas include the proposed eastern and northern extensions to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, the Styx Valley, the Tarkine, the Great Western Tiers, the North-East Highlands (including Blue Tier and Ben Lomond forests), the Eastern Tiers, the Tasmanian Peninsula and the Leven valley forests. This is a total area of about 240,000 ha.

• End destructive and unsustainable logging practices of native forests outside reserves. It is important that any areas that are not included in new reserves are not made into 'sacrifice zones', with an even higher rate of logging than is currently occurring. There needs to be adequate regulations set in place to ensure these forests are logged sensibly and sustainably.

• End all woodchipping of native forests.

• End all clear felling of native forests.

• Stop the use of 1080 poison and review fire-management practices.

• Provide significant financial assistance to allow transition to new jobs and resources to affected timber workers and their families.

• Provide incentives for environmentally sustainable and local processing of sawlogs and chips in Tasmania's large areas of plantations.

Please send copies of resolutions to your Federal Electorate Council and to the Federal Leader, Kim Beazley.

Please also send a copy to LEAN, PO Box 118, Mascot, 1460.