The Tasmanian government is approving a scheme to harvest deep red myrtle timber in the state’s Savage River area of rainforest.
The allocated harvest area is 15,000ha and forms part of a 155,494ha forest .
Tasmanian and Australian environmentalist groups have protested at the government approval which allows logging in the centre of the forest. Previously only trees on the fringes had been harvested.
However, Tasmanian deputy premier Paul Lennon insisted that the harvesting would be undertaken sensitively and sustainably. He pointed out that the harvest of deep red mytle would be capped at 2,000 tonnes. That is less than half the level authorised under the state’s regional forest agreement with the Commonwealth.
