Looks as if the forests are getting a break.

The dirty secret the Greens don't want you to know is that the cost of "saving" Australia's forests is moving logging overseas to places where standards are lower. But from a Green's point of view that "doesn't matter" as it doesn't affect their Australian political ambitions.

"Looks as if the forests are getting a break."

Forest .. yes, forests no and only if you're myopic and don't adopt an holistic approach. Its the worst of outcomes. The result is to offshore to places like Cambodia/Indonesia where they just rape the forest with no thought to sustainability. "Not our fault, they have to get their own house in order" YES IT IS OUR FAULT. We shut our industries down but still demand the product. Should we be value adding to the products, of course we should but very hard, nearly impossible to do in Australia's regulatory and IR environment. eg who would bother to set up a new high end furniture making business using Tasmanian hardwoods... as one example.

The Greens are the worst of the worst in terms of environmentalists because their only "solution" is to offshore primary industry and bring in tourists, never mind they all fly in on commercial jets that are incredibly polluting, some sort of cognitive disconnection happening ?

Marine Parks are another area of concern, they campaign to close areas off to fishing but no opening off more fish farms, the result, more imported seafood. The Gulf of Thailand suffers again !

The fast tracking and unaccountable forestry management in Tasmania set the industry on a course with an unsustainable future where no one wins. Led by Gunn’s, with its long history of corruption, it was inevitable that the decision to stop unsustainable native logging would be a unanimous decision in the national interest. The industry can whine and protest all it likes; you only have yourselves to blame.

" unaccountable forestry management in Tasmania"

This would have to typify the sheer ignorance as represented by the ENGO argument and the 'deceit' as discussed in the article.

We're the author of this comment ever to have even lightly perused the 'Australian Forest Standard' he/she would cringe with embarrassment at the stupidity of the statement. The Australian Forest Standard is incredibly stringent in every aspect of forest management, in every aspect of sustainability, in every aspect of environmental reponsibility, from regular survey and protection of endqngered and threatened flaura and fauna species to continual monitoring of water quality and revegetation/rehabilitation. These responsibilities are continually audited by external agencies.

It would be hard to find a more regulated industry. As Valley Guy says, ignorant myopic arguments by the likes of Batu creates an environment rich in forest destruction in many areas of the world.

Does anyone serously believe that there will be peace in the forestry debate if another 570,000 ha is put into park? The ENGO's will go after the next piece of forest once that is locked away.