❓ Ms. Shaw asks about the environmental and climate change impacts of ending commercial logging in WA's native forests by 2024. The Minister responds positively, highlighting biodiversity preservation, climate change mitigation, and a shift to a sustainable softwood timber industry.
AnsweredQoN 485Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIVE FOREST — LOGGING
485. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the historic announcement
this morning that the McGowan Labor government will end the commercial logging of Western Australia's native
forests by 2024. Can the minister outline to the house what this landmark
policy will mean for the environment and Western Australia's
efforts in responding to climate change?
485. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the historic announcement
this morning that the McGowan Labor government will end the commercial logging of Western Australia's native
forests by 2024. Can the minister outline to the house what this landmark
policy will mean for the environment and Western Australia's
efforts in responding to climate change?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Swan Hills
for her question. I am very pleased and proud to be part of a Labor government
that is ending the large-scale logging and clearing of native forest. This
builds on the work that was started nearly 20
years ago by the Gallop government by ending the logging of old-growth forest.
We are moving in a very considered and
careful way to look at how we can be more sustainable and manage our forests in
a more sustainable way. I was in Mundaring this morning with the
Minister for Forestry and the Premier to make this historic announcement. This is a fundamental shift in how we manage and
view our forests. It is a shift away from clearing and deforestation ,
which is a significant contributor to climate change. The 2019
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report clearly outlined that
deforestation and clearing was a contributor to climate change and that one of
the best things we can do to halt climate change is to stop deforestation, and
that is what we will do. All large-scale native logging will be stopped.
We will move very quickly to secure
the two-tier karri forests into national park and look at how we can bring other areas of the state forest into either a national
park or a conservation reserve to protect them for future industries .
This is about shifting from an unsustainable economic activity in the timber
industry to a more sustainable timber industry, which is the softwood industry.
That is the future of the timber industry, and the state government is
protecting those jobs.
This is a really, really important
announcement for our state. Many people have fought for this for a number of
years. It will preserve the incredible biodiversity and natural environment
that we have in the south west for future generations to come. It will also
support emerging industries like tourism and beekeeping that are much more
sympathetic with biodiversity and the natural environment. I am very proud to
be part of this government, which has moved to secure our south west forests.
Essentially, it will mean that two million hectares of the south west forest
out of the 2.5 million hectares will be protected from logging. This is an
incredible outcome for our state.
for her question. I am very pleased and proud to be part of a Labor government
that is ending the large-scale logging and clearing of native forest. This
builds on the work that was started nearly 20
years ago by the Gallop government by ending the logging of old-growth forest.
We are moving in a very considered and
careful way to look at how we can be more sustainable and manage our forests in
a more sustainable way. I was in Mundaring this morning with the
Minister for Forestry and the Premier to make this historic announcement. This is a fundamental shift in how we manage and
view our forests. It is a shift away from clearing and deforestation ,
which is a significant contributor to climate change. The 2019
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report clearly outlined that
deforestation and clearing was a contributor to climate change and that one of
the best things we can do to halt climate change is to stop deforestation, and
that is what we will do. All large-scale native logging will be stopped.
We will move very quickly to secure
the two-tier karri forests into national park and look at how we can bring other areas of the state forest into either a national
park or a conservation reserve to protect them for future industries .
This is about shifting from an unsustainable economic activity in the timber
industry to a more sustainable timber industry, which is the softwood industry.
That is the future of the timber industry, and the state government is
protecting those jobs.
This is a really, really important
announcement for our state. Many people have fought for this for a number of
years. It will preserve the incredible biodiversity and natural environment
that we have in the south west for future generations to come. It will also
support emerging industries like tourism and beekeeping that are much more
sympathetic with biodiversity and the natural environment. I am very proud to
be part of this government, which has moved to secure our south west forests.
Essentially, it will mean that two million hectares of the south west forest
out of the 2.5 million hectares will be protected from logging. This is an
incredible outcome for our state.
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