Behind the Veneer - Tasmanian Greens MPs

TA ANN: BEHIND THE VENEER
Ta Ann destroys Tasmania’s native forests
The Huon Valley Environment Centre has
acquired evidence demonstrating that timber
utilised by TAT is sourced from high conservation
value forests, as well as from forests that are
identified as ‘old growth’ under mapping systems
determined by State and Federal authorities.
An examination of the logging practices and
forest management regimes through which Ta
Ann receives its timber demonstrates that their
Tasmanian veneer products contravene publicly stated
commitments by major international customers.
Native forests fulfil many important ecological
functions, are of great environmental benefit and
are critical for the protection of flora and fauna.
Tasmania’s native forests contain important
cultural heritage sites of significance to Tasmania’s
Aboriginal people as well as outstanding
geomorphological sites, caves and karst systems. 97
In 2008-2009 almost 3.7 million m 3 of wood was
harvested from Tasmania’s native forests. 98 In 2002
the harvesting rate of old growth forest in Tasmania’s
southern forests was 200-400 ha per annum. 99
Estimations by Forestry Tasmania showed a
scenario in which all old growth would be logged
from production forests in 12 years, by 2013. 100
Forestry Tasmania’s annual report, lists the area
of native forest logged on publicly owned land for
the last three years, 2007-2010, as 34 000 ha. 101
Forests Under Threat
Tasmania has a large complement of endemic flora
and fauna and its rainforests provide particular
insights in to ancient Gondwanan relationships. 102
Moreover, many endemic and threatened species rely
upon critical habitat provided by native forests. 103
Threatened species that rely on Tasmania’s native
forests include the:
l Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax fleayi);
l Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii);
l grey goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae);
l
l
swift parrot (Lathamus discolor); and
spotted-tail quoll (Dasyurus maculatus).
For example, the swift parrot is an endangered
migratory bird. It largely relies on forests in Tasmania’s
southeast for breeding and feeding in spring and
summer. 104 The swift parrot undertakes the longest
migration of any parrot in the world – travelling from
Tasmania to various parts of southeast mainland
Australia. In the breeding season, these birds mainly
feed on the nectar of blue gum flowers (Eucalyptus
globulus) up to 10 kilometres away from their nesting
colony which is located in mature forest with abundant
nest hollows. 105 Nest hollows are only formed in
mature trees of at least 0.8 metres trunk diameter. 106
Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua), a typical nesting
tree for swift parrots, generally does not form hollows
of sufficient size until at least 140 years of age. 107
Spotted-tail quoll
Swift parrot
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