Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bob Brown for his questions. It is simply not correct to say that the IGA requires an immediate halt to logging within 430,000 hectares identified by the ENGOs. Clause 25 of the IGA requires the Tasmanian government to place 430,000 hectares of native forest into informal reserves. This clause is clearly qualified by the two subsequent clauses. Clause 26 of the IGA states:

Where harvesting work has already begun in coupes within the nominated 430,000 hectares, rescheduling will occur as soon as practical …

Clause 26 goes on to set out a process, involving both the state and federal governments, the signatories to the statement of principles and the independent verification group, which allows harvesting already underway in the 430,000 hectares to continue. Clause 27 of the IGA sets out a process through which logging in the 430,000 hectares can further continue during— (Time expired)