Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to table an explanatory memorandum to the bill.

Leave granted.

I table an explanatory memorandum and seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

The Ending Native Forest Logging Bill 2023 seeks to put an end to native forest logging in Australia. It does so by repealing the Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002 and closing a loophole in our national environmental laws. A loophole that entire truckloads of logs have been driven through.

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 sets out the Commonwealth's responsibility to protect our environment. This Act is supposed to reflect the Australian Government's international commitments to preserve the places we love and protect biodiversity.

However, under the Regional Forest Agreements, established between state and federal governments, logging operations are given a special exemption. This means that the regulation and protection of Australia's precious forests are effectively left to state governments.

These are the same governments who own the Forestry Corporation NSW and so called Sustainable Timber Tasmania—logging agencies who time and time again have recklessly destroyed irreplaceable forests.

Last month, photos were taken of a giant, centuries-old eucalypt on the back of logging truck in Tasmania. This beautiful old tree had been cut down and taken from a logging coupe in the Florentine Valley.

Giant trees like this one provide critical habitat for hollow tree-dependent species. Any tree larger than 86 metres tall are supposed to be protected by a buffer in which logging is not supposed to occur.

Despite this clear and important rule, Sustainable Timber Tasmania logged this ancient eucalypt anyway. The agency cited safety as the reason for their reckless destruction. Giant old trees can hollow out and potentially cause a safety risk to people. However, if the agency followed the rules and implemented the protection buffer, risk would be minimised if not eliminated.

State logging agencies cannot be trusted, and neither can their state government owners.

The decision by the Western Australian and Victorian governments to end native forest logging by 2024 was a step towards genuine progress.

This was a hard fought victory for the many dedicated forest activists, Traditional Owners, academics, community members and environmental organisations that had been campaigning for the end to native forest logging in these states for decades.

It was a win for First Nations heritage and culture.

For the threatened species and wildlife that call Victoria and Western Australia's forests home.

It was also a win for the climate. Logging native forests in these states was a huge driver of emissions. It is estimated that ending native forest logging in Victoria alone will save 3.35 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

Despite this victory—there is so much more to do. As long as the regional forest agreements are in place—native forest logging will go unchecked in Tasmania and New South Wales and cause irreversible destruction.

Forests form part of the traditional lands of First Nations people around Australia and are important habitats for their totem species. When governments allow the logging industry to destroy native forests, they are threatening generations of First People's heritage.

We are also starring down the barrel of a biodiversity crisis. Australia holds the highest number of mammal extinctions globally and this has only been propelled by the regional forest agreements.

Since the commencement of these agreements, Australia has witnessed more than a quarter of federally listed forest-dependent species move closer to extinction. In this time we have also seen 15 forest vertebrate species listed as threatened for the first time.

State logging agencies are continuing to allow the logging of habitat of endangered species such as swift parrots in Tasmania and Greater Gliders in New South Wales. The Commonwealth Government's aim of zero extinctions will continue to be compromised if state logging agencies are permitted to keep destroying habitats that endangered animals rely on for their very survival.

If we want to reach zero extinctions, then this Bill must urgently be passed.

Protecting Australia's native forests is also critical for our climate.

Annual emissions from native forest logging in New South Wales and Tasmania alone are equivalent to the annual emissions of two million cars, or half a million households. It is estimated that ending native forest logging would save approximately 15.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

Repealing the regional forest agreements and ending native forest logging across the country provides a clear pathway for Australia to contribute to reaching our zero emissions targets, limit global heating and protect our climate.

The benefits of protecting forests, however, must not be sold to fossil fuel corporations as carbon offsets so they can mine and burn more coal and gas.

As part of realising the benefits of protecting Australia's forests, we need to ensure a just transition for workers and communities out of native forest logging.

For far too long, workers and communities have been lied to by governments, who haven't been honest with them about the inevitability of the end of native forest logging.

The Greens have called for greater support for just transitions, including through a National Transition Authority. Communities and workers should be provided with assistance to transition to sustainable industries.

The time for native forest logging is over. A poll recently released by the Australia Institute showed that 69% of Australians support extending the ban on native forest logging in NSW and Tasmania.

Yet, the federal Labor government continues to keep their head in the sand and allow for the destruction of Australia's forests and wildlife to continue.

We are expected to have the most significant bushfire season since the 2019-2020 black summer fires. This poses an enormous risk to Australia's forests their wildlife, the carbon they store and the communities that rely on them. Logging also increases the fire risk to our forests and nearby communities.

The Labor government cannot risk Australia's native forests being recklessly destroyed by the logging industry any more ahead of the bushfire season.

Australia's native forests need urgent protection—for their role in soaking up and storing carbon, as the traditional lands of First Nations people, for their totems and songlines, water, wildlife and beauty.

It is time the Labor Government stop prioritising corporate profits and industry lobbies over people and the environment.

It's time to end native forest logging in Australia.

I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.