Spokesperson for the South East Region Conservation Alliance (SERCA), Harriett Swift is warning voters: “Be prepared to hear grossly inflated job figures and wildly exaggerated figures on claimed economic benefits of the woodchipping industry and over use of terms like sustainable and carbon positive.” "The logging industry lobby group, Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has just nominated Eden-Monaro[1] as one of its target electorates. Conservationists are alerting Eden-Monaro voters to expect a barrage of fake news from the logging industry in the coming election campaign. “We are suggesting that voters take these claims with a very large grain of salt,” Ms Swift said. “After almost 50 years of woodchipping, Eden-Monaro has a shameful record in threatened species. Only 4 other electorates in Australia have more threatened species dependent on them for their survival. [2] “It is interesting that AFPA has chosen electorates which are strongholds of native forest logging rather than plantations. The others to be targeted are also native forest logging strongholds: Braddon (Tas), Bass (Tas), Lyons (Tas), Longman (Qld) and Gippsland (Vic).” “The irony is that in inland parts of Eden-Monaro there is a strong plantation industry whose future is being held back by native forest logging. “Native forest logging is heavily subsidized and has ruined the social licence of the whole industry. “The more Governments prop up the native forest sector, the more they harm plantations,” she said. Ms Swift said that the industry’s own research last year[3] showed that almost 70 percent of people across all States want to see an end to native forest logging. “Candidates who respect public opinion will not be influenced by a big spending campaign from the loggers’ lobby group,” Ms Swift said.
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[1] http://ausfpa.com.au/media-releases/politicians-will-need-to-grow-your-future-if-they-want-forest-industry-votes/?fbclid=IwAR1SoPDBYbZCjZSY-SpQt4UHf3BeLeJo5ggg_fEDQpJRIMMnLM-_VqAGtPc [2] https://theconversation.com/just-ten-mps-represent-more-than-600-threatened-species-in-their-electorates-83500 [3] Forest and Wood Products Aust.Community perceptions of Australia's forest, wood and paper industries. August 2018
