Hes about to destroy the reef, why not the forest too? Conservation groups believe UNESCOs World Heritage Committee will reject the Abbott governments attempt to de-list 74,000 hectares of Tasmanian wild forests, dismissing suggestions the area is significantly degraded and logged. Environment Minister Greg Hunt said photographs taken by parliamentary secretary Richard Colbeck showed extraordinary devastation of areas that people felt never should have been listed as world heritage. The Wilderness Society and Environment Tasmania responded by releasing images by nature photographer Rob Blakers of several forests currently listed as world heritage that they said now may be logged. The photos showed intact forests spreading across mountain and valley, with occasional logging coupe interruptions. Said photographs of the wild forests taken by a parliamentary secretary showed extraordinary devastation: Environment Minister Greg Hunt. Photo: Glenn Hunt The areas the government wants to de-list were part of 170,000 hectares of tall eucalypt, old growth and rainforest that were deemed in June last year worthy of being added to the 1.4 million-hectare Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Mr Hunt declined to say whether he had seen the forests in question.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 17:25:45 +0000
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