Queensland Govt Announces SE Forest Decision
9/16/99
*******************************
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Queensland Govt Announces SE Forest Decision
Source: The Wilderness Society
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: September 16, 1999
Byline: Andrew Wong
The QLD Government has announced the South East Queensland Forest
Agreement. It includes:
It is not an RFA
425,000 ha of new protected areas (and these are the boundaries the
conservation movement put forward, so theyre the best areas).
This is from an original 700,000 ha of State Forests, of which 60% is
being reserved. Total forest in reserves brought to 782,000 ha from
an original 357,000 ha - an increase of 220%. Reserves now cover 73%
of forested public land.
No logging of old-growth forest or wilderness on public lands ever.
End to native forest logging in 25 years time (with a phase out
occurring in the intervening period)
No export woodchipping
No clearfelling
No harvesting of forest residues
Huge native species plantation establishment program
Another 80,000 ha of identified high conservation value fauna habitat
deferred, potentially for good
Boral is leaving QLD!!
Regards,
Andrew Wong
The Wilderness Society
Phone (02) 6249 6491
Decision announced today by the QLD Government, 16/9/99