The Howard-era Coalition frontbencher Robert Hill and prominent Labor figure Peter Garrett are among several former environment ministers who have signed on to a campaign to ban native forest logging across Australia.
The push is being led by the independent MP for Mackellar, Sophie Scamps, and calls on federal and state governments to work together on a transition away from industrial-scale native forestry.
Former ministers backing the pledge include Hill, who served under John Howard between 1996 and 2001, Garrett, who served between 2007 and 2010, the former New South Wales Labor environment minister Bob Debus, and Rod Welford and Desley Boyle, two former Queensland environment ministers.
“Too much of Australia’s rich and often unique biodiversity has been lost,” Hill said. “What remains must be conserved and ending clearing and logging of Australia’s native forests would significantly help.
“Those who suffer loss as a result of such a decision should be supported. It’s time to say enough is enough.”
Geoff Gallop, the former Western Australian Labor premier, is also supporting the pledge, as are all federal teal independents, senator David Pocock, key independent MPs in the NSW parliament, most state and federal Greens politicians and more than 30 environment and civil society groups.
The campaign urges state and federal governments to move towards greater use of plantations and develop support options for any affected forestry workers.
Debus said “the best thing we can do to protect our threatened wildlife and to take greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere is to quickly and fairly bring this failing industry to an end”.
The NSW and Tasmanian governments have been under pressure to act on native forest logging after WA and Victoria committed to ending native forestry.
Consultation has begun with key groups and experts over planned changes to Australia’s national environmental laws and the Albanese government has faced pressure to end native forest logging as part of those reforms.
Forestry operations covered by a regional agreement are exempt from the current national environmental laws.
The federal environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, has said regional forest agreements would have to comply with new national environmental standards being developed as part of the reforms.
Scamps said native forest logging was helping to drive some of Australia’s most loved species towards extinction.
“It’s now time for the serving politicians in the major parties to act,” she said.
“Some of Australia’s most iconic species – including koalas, gliders, as well as countless other birds, mammals and reptiles – are found nowhere else in the world.
“Australia’s native forests are their home and as recent events in Tallaganda state forest show, logging can further threaten endangered wildlife like the greater glider, despite practices which supposedly protect these creatures.”
