Conservationists will campaign across Australia to protect native forests despite the Senate voting to allow forest furnaces last night.

‘This is the new forest Hell. As with woodchipping when it arrived in Eden, and then Triabunna, in 1970/1 promising only to use the waste from sawmilling, forest furnaces will come to dictate the destruction of Tasmanian and mainland wild native forests and wildlife habitat. In 2011, I signed a pact with Julia Gillard that made forest furnaces illegal, except for plantation wood. Labor has now torn up that pact to give Tony Abbott his way. It is a recipe for years of forest strife ahead and is all so unnecessary,’ Bob Brown said.

‘Australians will be dumbfounded at the decisions of the Government to allow for polluting forest furnaces and entrenched logging of forests that are critical habitat for unique wildlife on the brink of extinction. This will continue to prop up an industry that is economically damaging to the country. Providing renewable energy certificate incentives to burn up to 90% of what is logged will drive ongoing logging of Australia’s unique native forests destroying habitat for endangered wildlife like the Swift Parrot,’ Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Manager, Jenny Weber said.

‘Australia’s logging industry has a huge lobbying influence in the parliament so that the Liberal and Labor parties, along with some independent cross benchers, have ignored the science. It is a lie that burning native forests in furnaces for electricity is renewable. The Coalition and Labor have voted for electricity to be generated from clear felled forests: it will be best known as dead swift parrot power,’ Jenny Weber said.

How did Tasmania’s Senators vote? 

Senator Abetz - didn't vote

Senator Bilyk - Yes

Senator Carol Brown - didn't vote

Senator Bushby - Yes

Senator Colbeck – Yes

Senator Lambie - Yes

Senator Milne – No

Senator Parry - Yes

Senator Polley - didn't vote

Senator Singh - Yes

Senator Urquhart - didn't vote

Senator Whish Wilson - No

Media contact

Jenny Weber 0427 366 929