Environment Tasmania has today welcomed the resolution by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee (WHC) to adopt, without amendment, a decision to urge the Hodgman Government to take its Draft TWWHA Management Plan back to the drawing board.

Andrew Perry, Environment Tasmania’s spokesperson for forests, said “What’s essentially happened here is the Tasmanian Government has removed a bunch of critical protections for the World Heritage Area, and said we know this looks bad, but you can trust us to do the right thing. But now the World Heritage Committee has said we don’t trust you, that’s not good enough, put those protections back in.”

Environment Tasmania has today welcomed a decision by the UN's World Heritage Committee (WHC) urging the Hodgman Government to take its Draft TWWHA Management Plan back to the drawing board.

Andrew Perry, Environment Tasmania’s spokesperson for forests, said “What the UN's World Heritage Committee has done here is reiterate the concerns of Environment Tasmania, numerous other eNGOs, and thousands of ordinary Tasmanians. What we’d like to know now is how many voices does the Hodgman Government need to hear before it listens?

ANU RESEARCH TEAM CALLS FOR SWIFT PARROTS TO BE UP-LISTED TO CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

A recent Population Viability Analysis (PVA) by scientists from UTAS, ANU and the Chicago Zoological Society has found that with a business as usual attitude to managing Swift Parrot conservation, their population will decrease by between 80% to 95% over their next three generations (approximately 16 years), as published by the ANU last night. This was largely due to predication by Sugar Gliders, which occurs most in areas subject to logging. These findings see the Swift Parrot now meet the criteria for up-listing to Critically Endangered, which is what they are calling upon the Government to do.

Environment Tasmania seconds this call.

Environment groups have today accused the Tasmanian Government of attempting to "pull a swiftie" over endangered species, by supporting logging of critical Swift Parrot breeding habitat against the advice of their own experts.

A report released today by Environment Tasmania, "Pulling a Swiftie", outlines the findings of a Right To Information (RTI) request. It found that the Forest Practices Authority referred a number of proposed logging coupes to DPIPWE for further advice in the 2013-14 financial year, as recognised guidelines for protection of the Endangered Swift Parrot could not be met.

IMAGE: Swift Parrot | Chris Tzaros

This report outlines the findings of a Right to Information Request which reveals serious systemic failures in the protection of the Endangered Swift Parrot, with the support of the logging of critical breeding habitat for the parrot by senior decision-makers within the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & the Environment, against their own experts’ advice. The report also provides context to these RTI findings through an outline of the Swift Parrot’s current conservation status, threats and legislative protections. What this contextual information demonstrates is a complete breakdown in the system to protect this iconic Endangered species.

REPORT:  Pulling A Swiftie: Systemic Tasmanian Government approval of logging known to damage Swift Parrot habitat

APPENDIX:  RTI (Right To Information) documents that informed the report "Pulling A Swiftie"

MEDIA RELEASE:  Government caught "Pulling A Swiftie", Dated: 23.03.2015

MEDIA RELEASE:  Ground Zero for Swift Parrot, Dated: 26.03.2015

The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) Draft Management Plan demonstrates the Tasmanian Government intends to abandon the concept of ‘wilderness’ amongst a range of changes that water down protections to allow invasive tourism development and logging in the internationally renowned area.

Abandoning wilderness is a reckless and nonsensical move given its importance for the state’s reputation, its centrality to tourism branding and its use as an important conservation management tool.

Today Paul Harriss, Minister for Resources, made a statement to the Tasmanian Parliament further detailing his Government’s moves to return Tasmania to the bad old days of forest subsidies and conflict.

And supporting his statement were numerous misleading platitudes about "agreement", some of which appeared to reference the Tasmanian Forest Agreement, which his own Government repealed.

In opposition, Premier Will Hodgman was very big on his 'open for business' rhetoric.

But now in government, it's becoming apparent that what Mr Hodgman meant was: Tasmania, open for subsidies.