For a Premier that purports to represent a regional electorate (Bendigo East) and who is married to Yorick Piper – a former high ranking Victorian official in the CFMEU Forestry and Manufacturing division – there is absolutely no excuse for her ignorance on this issue – feigned or not.
Clarence Valley council have rejected a proposal to ban native timber harvesting in their region – with 95% of public submissions in favor of the sustainable sector.
Environmental extremists set to take family businesses to court – with communities to suffer reduced access to firewood and increased fire risk.
Throughout Victoria – illegal firewood collection as a result of the end of the sustainable native timber industry has taken hold in some of our most valued and rare ecological gems.
Everytime we use Australian sustainable native timber, we are also choosing NOT to support catastrophic illegal logging overseas. According to Interpol Illegal logging contributes between 15 and 30% of the world wood trade every year – and is believed by United Nations experts to range from US$30 to US$100 Billion a year. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) believes illegal logging directly contributes to funding many criminal groups, including African terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram.
Mick Harrington will become Forest Wood Communities Australia’s new Executive Officer from July 1.
The real forest defenders are the losers in the disastrous decision to close native forestry.