Below is an edited excerpt from the TWS - Party Assessment Page Oct 2004 - see full page on TWS site click here

This election the protection of Tasmania's old growth forests has been the highest priority for The Wilderness Society. An assessment of the policies of four political parties on this issue and on other key Wild Country initiatives has been undertaken. The chart below summarises our policy assessments.

Score Card- click on policy to scroll down page and find each detailed assessment faster

TASMANIA'S FORESTS

§ Protect public and private wild and forested landscapes, end landclearing, ban 1080 Poison, rule out burning forests for power, provide for specialty timbers, provide a forestry industry reform package and expand park and tourism infrastructure.

The Australian Greens will

• Immediately protect from all logging Tasmania's old growth and high-conservation value forests, wilderness areas and other areas of great natural significance
• end industrial scale logging of old growth and mixed age forests
• end conversion of native vegetation to plantations
• reduce logging to take account of the withdrawal of resources from protected areas and changed management
• ban use of 1080 poison on native wildlife
• review forestry fire regeneration and management practices
• rule out the burning of Tasmania's native forests for electrical power
• encourage plantation management to Forest Stewardship Certification Standards
• create Specialty Timber and Honey Production Zones
• secure protection for forest communities in Private Land and potentially allocate additional funds
• establish higher efficiency, integration of timber production with value added manufacturing, changed wood allocation and pricing criteria in the forest industry.
• enable and support a Tasmanian Forest Industry Restructure through a funded Assistance Package for workers, industry development and business exit.
• establish a Royal Commission, change self-regulation, and end Forestry Tasmania exemptions from state legislation for example Freedom of Information and planning and environment laws.

The Australian Greens have been strong advocates for Tasmania's forests over many years. However they also allocated preferences to the ALP in 8 out of the ten marginal seats being targeted by TWS, before the Tasmanian forest policies of either major party had been announced.

The Australian Democrats will

• provide immediate protection for all rainforest, old-growth forest, forests of high conservation value, and wilderness areas (including the Tarkine Wilderness and the Styx Valley in Tasmania) as well as areas that are important for domestic water supply.
• cease broad-scale landclearing
• introduce incentive schemes to protect native forests on private lands.
• phase out the export of wood chips, and encourage value-adding practices at every possible opportunity to ensure Australia's logged resources are sold and exported for the highest possible return.
• provide restructuring assistance to forestry workers and communities affected by the phase out of logging of native forests.
• introduce a range of forestry industry reforms to make the industry more transparent, accountable and constrained by environmental requirements
• establish a judicial inquiry into forestry practices in Tasmania

The Australian Democrats have generally been supportive of protection of Tasmania's forests although they have not championed the cause and during the election have deliberately downplayed the importance of protecting Tasmania's forests. During the campaign they have supported a policy of continued logging and woodchipping of the forests until indigenous consultation takes place, even though this position affords no additional rights to Aboriginal Tasmanians and results in wholesale destruction of indigenous cultural heritage.

The Australian Labor Party will

• legislate to permanently protect all areas of high conservation-value old growth forests, as confirmed by a panel of experts after Sept 2005
• Allow existing logging operations and any planned logging in the areas under review to continue during the period of the assessment.
• Review the RFA and put in place improvements to forestry practices
• Convert the Private Forest Reserve program into a new Biodiversity Buyback Scheme to include other significant non-forest ecological communities.
• Amending renewable energy legislation to stop the burning of native forests for energy.
  Supporting the Tasmanian Government's phase-out of the use of 1080 poison in forests on state land.
• Restore funding to maintain World Heritage areas.
• End broad scale clearing of native vegetation in Tasmania after 1 September 2005 and make funding conditional on suitable transitional arrangements.
• Provide a $800 million Sustainable Development for Tasmania Fund to create new economic and job opportunities, secure employment for forest workers, help the forest industry move to sustainable, high-value practices and downstream processing and support new tourism infrastructure and projects in protected areas.
• Maintain and improve access to specialty timbers for artisan and other higher-value, lower-volume uses, including by retooling sawmills.

The future of high conservation value forests scheduled for logging in the next 18 months is uncertain under this policy. More details and clarification are being sought on which precise areas will be subject to a review and moratorium, the extent to which the moratorium will apply and the full terms of reference for the expert panel.

The Liberal National Coalition will

• Immediately add over 170,000 hectares to the current reserve system, including 43,000 hectares of private land. The policy is misleading as many of these forests are not under threat from logging.
• End use of 1080 poison on public and private land by December 2005
• Provide a $50 million package to:
• initiate some reforms to timber industry practices and some investment in improved plantation practices and marketing.
• provide research funds to improve forest timber yield.
• support an environmental best practice pulpmill.
• support improved sawlog recovery, retooling, training and reskilling.
• provide limited funds for a tourism forest walk.
• Retain support for the RFA and allow most old growth logging to continue.

Despite strong rhetoric this policy has failed to comprehensively address the crucial protection of Tasmania’s old growth forests.

Liberals for Forests will

• support the TWS / ACF / Greenpeace Protecting Forests, Growing Jobs policy approach.

Unfortunately, Liberals for Forests lead candidate for the Senate in NSW has previously been involved with a raft of parties including the Four Wheel Drive Party, Horse Riders Party and the Outdoor Recreation Party whose policies were not very forest friendly.

In South Australia, the lead Senate candidate has previously run as a no GST candidate and they have split their Senate preferences between the Greens and Labor.

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CAPE YORK PENINSULA

§ Protect the Wilderness, care for the Land and Building a Conservation Economy

The Australian Greens will

• Commit $45.35 million towards a 'Regional Conservation Program' including $15 million for buy back of high conservation value lands, $11.8 million for Protected Area Management and the creation of Indigenous Protected Areas, $4.05 million for the operation of Land and Sea Management Centres, $5 million for weed and feral animal control, $7 million for Indigenous peoples management of the marine environment and support for World Heritage listing
• Commit $17.88 million for sustainable economic development initiatives
• Commit $21.65 million for community health and education initiatives and community infrastructure projects

The Australian Labor Party will

• Commit $15 million to buy back high conservation value lands
• Commit $2 million to accelerate World Heritage listing for appropriate areas
• Commit $3 million to improve management of National Parks on Cape York
• Commit $6.75 million to assist Indigenous communities to control weeds and pests and to protect the marine environment throughout Cape York

The Australian Democrats will

• Commit $20 million towards a Cape York protected areas program
• Commit $500 000 to support World Heritage listing
• Commit $10 million towards a invasive species program to address weed and pest issues

The Liberal/National Parties will

• At the time of writing, no specific Cape York policies have been announced by the Coalition parties.

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NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

§ End clearing and protect wild and natural rivers, support improved management, reject genetically modified organisms and increase support for protected areas including the Daintree.

The Australian Greens will

• Commit $15 million towards the buy back of rainforest in the Daintree lowlands
• Seek immediate closure of the Ranger Uranium Mine and full rehabilitation of the abandoned Jabiluka Uranium Mine, cancellation of the mining lease and incorporation of the lease site into the National Park if supported by the traditional owners
• End the clearing of native vegetation
• Create a Marine Mammal Act
• Create a national system of Marine Protected Areas with a minimum 30% no take area in each marine bioregion
• Develop a comprehensive, adequate and representative freshwater reserve system

The Australian Democrats will

• Commit $10 million towards the buy back of rainforest in the Daintree lowlands
• Initiate the total and immediate cessation of vegetation clearing in environmentally sensitive areas and areas of high conservation value
• Ensure a national response to, and sufficient resourcing of, conservation research and action for Australia's rare, restricted and threatened plants and animals

The Australian Labor Party will

• Commit $8 million towards the buy back of rainforest in the Daintree lowlands
• Work with the Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia Governments to protect remaining wild rivers by identifying those rivers that should be protected

The Liberal/National Coalition will

• Commit $5 million towards a limited form of buyback that permits further development
• Provide $100 million over 4 years to support world class research through the establishment of a new Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities programme

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SOUTH EASTERN FORESTS

§ Provide a strong protected area network and industry assistance package

The Australian Greens will

• immediately end the export of woodchips from native forests, including the relocation of the Eden woodchip facility to plantations in south-west Victoria.
• immediately end logging of old growth and other high conservation value native forests
• but allow small volumes of timber to be taken from limited areas for specialty purposes
• develop and implement a national wood products industry plan that will complete the transition from native forests to plantations
• provide a package of retraining and other assistance for workers facing displacement from the native forest-based industry

The Australian Greens have been strong advocates for these forests over many years. In Eden-Monaro they withheld preferences from either major party until the very last in an effort to see the Eden woodchip facility relocated.

The Australian Democrats will

• Immediately protect of all rainforest, old-growth forest, forests of high conservation value, and wilderness areas as well as areas that are important for domestic water supply
• Phase out the export of wood chips, and encourage value-adding practices at every opportunity to ensure Australia's logged resources are sold and exported for the highest possible return.
• Provide restructuring assistance to forestry workers and communities affected by the phase out of logging of native forests.
• Introduce a range of forestry industry reforms to make the industry more transparent, accountable and constrained by environmental requirements.

Whilst this policy broadly addresses forest issues, the Democrats have failed to actively engage in the campaign to end woodchipping and protect the forests of South East NSW.

The Australian Labor Party

• have not announced a policy to protect the South East Australian forests before the election.

They currently support the Regional Forest Agreement, which allows the logging and woodchipping of native forests in South East NSW and Victoria.
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The Liberal/National Coalition

• have not announced a policy to protect the South East Australian forests before the election.

They currently support the Regional Forest Agreement, which allows the logging and woodchipping of native forests in South East NSW and Victoria.
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LAND CLEARING IN QUEENSLAND

§ Provide funds to support the clearing controls

The Australian Greens will

• Support the protection of Queensland Bushlands from clearing but have not committed any funds.

The Australian Democrats will

• Support the protection of Queensland Bushlands from clearing but have not committed any funds.

The Australian Labor Party will

• Support the protection of Queensland Bushlands from clearing but have not committed any funds.

The Liberal/National Coalition will

• Support a no net loss of native vegetation policy but have not committed any funds.

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COONGIE LAKES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

§ Fund an end to grazing

The Australian Greens will

• Commit funds for the acquisition of the grazing lease over Coongie Lakes

None of the other parties have a policy to end the grazing in the Ramsar listed Coongie Lakes "

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