24 June 2013 - Some
of the Tasmania's most spectacular and precious
areas of old growth native forest have been
given the highest level of environmental
protection following a decision by the World
Heritage Committee.
The World Heritage Committee
today accepted the Australian Government
proposal to add more than 170 000 hectares
to the World Heritage list protecting old
growth forests areas in the Upper Florentine
and areas within the Styx, Huon, Picton
and Counsel River Valley.
Environment Minister
Tony Burke said the nomination of a boundary
extension for the Tasmanian Wilderness World
Heritage Area was a key environmental outcome
of the Tasmanian Forest Agreement.
"I have camped
in and walked through these forests and
they are some of the most amazing places
on earth," Mr Burke said.
"If you look at
the Styx in particular, there are trees
that are the length of a football field
going straight up. And this decision today
means those extraordinary giants of the
forest are added to the World Heritage list.
"These are extraordinarily
precious areas of forest and they have been
added through an agreement with industry
which is worked through in a restructure
for industry where forestry will continue
in areas that are less contentious that
don't have those same high level of conservation
value," Mr Burke said.
"For the first
time it's been done, not through a political
process, but through a genuine community
process where industry and environment groups
came up together with a package that they
thought would deliver what each of them
wanted most.
"We have the conservation
groups saying the high conservation areas
are being protected and for the people who
look at it from an industry perspective
this is part of that entire package that
has resulted in 30 years of conflict in
Tasmanian forestry being resolved through
an extraordinary agreement that made it
through the stakeholders made it through
the parliament and now has been endorsed
by the WH committee as being a conservation
outcome of international importance."
Mr Burke said while
the natural values of the forests had been
listed there was still more work to be done
in protecting the cultural values.
"There are many
sites of deep cultural significance within
the world heritage boundary.
"The Australian
Government is continuing its consultation
with Indigenous communities in Tasmania
to ensure these cultural values are considered
at a future meeting of the World Heritage
Committee.
"Work has begun
on a study of the outstanding universal
cultural values of the Tasmanian Wilderness
World Heritage Area, including those areas
within the new boundary."
This extension to the
Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area
means areas of exceptional beauty, particularly
its majestic stands of tall eucalypt forests,
glacial landforms and alpine and sub-alpine
environments are now afforded the highest
level of protection.
The boundary extension
will significantly enhance the wet eucalypt
forests within the property and will enhance
the connection between its tall eucalypt
forest and rainforest.
The Styx-Tyenna area
contains the greatest concentration of these
trees in the world.
Additional important
habitat for rare and threatened species
such as the endangered wedge-tailed eagle
and the Tasmanian Devil are also included
in the boundary extension. The Great Western
Tiers are an important breeding ground for
the endangered white form of the Grey Goshawk.
The new boundary also
adds to the representation of the glacial
features and processes in the World Heritage
Area, including landforms which contain
evidence of glacial movement along the Walls
of Jerusalem and Central Plateau millions
of years ago.
+ More
Another milestone in
the Tasmanian Forests Agreement
23 June 2013 - Federal
Environment Minister, Tony Burke, today
announced another milestone in delivering
the historic Tasmanian Forests Agreement
– the retirement of peeler billet supply
from veneer maker Ta Ann. This restructure
will help protect jobs and native forests
in Tasmania.
Mr Burke said the Australian
Government would support Ta Ann in restructuring
its business to adjust to a 108,000 cubic
metre per annum reduction in peeler billet
supply and diversify its product base.
“Only months ago, Ta
Ann was ready to exit Tasmania. Now they
are restructuring and providing employment
for Tasmanians,” Mr Burke said.
“This contract underlines
just how far we’ve come in a few short months,
to a point where businesses like Ta Ann
are ready to reinvest in the state.”
Ta Ann operates two
rotary peel veneer mills in Tasmania. The
mills’ operations will still be supported
by an average of 157,000 cubic metres of
native forest veneer peeler billets a year
from Forestry Tasmania.
“Ta Ann and their workers
have been strong supporters of the forestry
agreement since the beginning, and this
is further demonstrated by the company’s
agreement to reduce supply and to commit
to stay in Tasmania,” Mr Burke said.
“Jobs at the company
are all the more secure today because the
industry can start to rebuild and diversify
its markets.
“The forestry deal that
passed the Tasmanian Parliament earlier
this year provides certainty because, for
the first time, it is supported by both
industry and conservationists.
“For industry, it guarantees
wood supply and undercuts any future market
campaigns against Tasmanian timber by moving
towards Forestry Stewardship Council certification
of its wood supply. For conservationists,
it allows for an unprecedented expansion
of the state’s forest reserves to protect
their remarkable biodiversity for posterity.
”Ta Ann's commitment
to not take wood supply from these forest
reserves will add to the durability of the
agreement.”
Federal Member for Franklin,
Julie Collins, said: “This is another example
of the Federal Labor Government investing
in Tasmanian jobs. By working with Ta Ann
we have been able to safeguard Tasmanian
jobs and help Ta Ann diversify its business.
“Building on other recent
job announcements, including 1000 for Vodafone
in Kingston and the $7 million investment
in aquaculture for the Huon this is another
fantastic announcement”.
Federal Member for Braddon
and Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry, Sid Sidebottom,
said the buyback was good for economic growth
and jobs in several regions of Tasmania,
including the North West.
“The continuation of
Ta Ann’s operation at Circular Head is vital
for the North-West,” Mr Sidebottom said.
“The retirement of contracts
will ensure operations and local jobs can
continue with certainty.”
Funding of $26 million
is in addition to existing Australian Government
commitments made under its Intergovernmental
Agreement with Tasmania. It is also additional
to the $100 million being invested in the
Jobs and Growth Plan which is supporting
new, emerging or growing sectors of the
Tasmanian economy.
