Abolish Forestry Tasmania

A coalition of conservation groups has launched a television advertising campaign to have the government business enterprise shut down.

The ads, to be aired on prime-time television in the state's South and on radio in the North, will focus on the effect of Forestry Tasmania's 0.3 per cent return on assets on the state budget bottom line.

Coalition spokeswoman Jenny Weber said based on the Government's own investment targets, the company should have returned $43 million to state coffers this year.

Continued subsidies came at the cost of jobs for nurses, teachers and police, she said.

"Like the Hydro Electric Commission of decades ago, Forestry Tasmania is an unaccountable, outdated and dysfunctional organisation, pursuing its own ambitions," Ms Weber said.

"It is vital for the community to know that if Forestry Tasmania was producing even a modest level of returns, 500 community-service workers would not have to lose their jobs.

"As well as continuing the logging of unique native forests, Forestry Tasmania has contributed no money in the last four years, has overseen the collapse of the timber industry and has pursued policies which have generated massive community conflict."

The ad is supported by Huon Valley Environment Centre, the Tarkine National Coalition, Environment Tasmania, Still Wild Still Threatened, The Florentine Protection Society and authorized by Peter T Mead.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• forestry tasmania
• tasmania
• logging
• labor
• clearfelling