Community Members Halt Forestry Operations in Carbon-Rich Styx Valley

Around fifteen community members belonging to Grassroots Action Network Tasmania (GRANT) have again disrupted logging operations in the Styx Valley near Westerway on Thursday.

The group entered the coup around 8:30 this morning and remain there in an attempt to stop the destruction of wet Eucalyptus regnans forest, one of the most carbon-dense habitats in the world.

This action marks a continuation of GRANT’s campaign demanding truthful emissions reporting from the Tasmanian Government. The Tasmanian forestry industry emits vast amounts of carbon every year - comparable to Tasmania’s other major industries such as transport or agriculture - yet the State Government hides these emissions in its official reporting.

According to GRANT spokesperson Darcy Wright, the government needs to come clean about the real cost of logging native forest.

“It’s the time of year that the forestry industry conducts their so-called ‘regeneration burns’, releasing massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere while claiming that the forestry industry is environmentally sustainable.

“The hypocrisy is on full display. Our government continues to spruik a clean green image while deceiving the Tasmanian public about the damage our forestry industry really does. Most of the carbon stored in these forests is going up in smoke and these politicians are hoping that they can stop people from realising it.

“Forestry is Tasmania’s climate fight and the government is trying to keep it out of the conversation.”

Hobart bartender Finn Leary argues that the forestry industry needs an urgent overhaul.

“There is no place for industrial scale, native forest logging on a dying planet. The government must put an end to the destruction of Tasmania’s pristine, carbon-dense forests if they want to take meaningful action on climate change.”

“There can be no conversation surrounding real climate action in Tasmania without acknowledging the elephant in the room: an unsustainable forestry industry that chips and burns 94% of the wood they are given access to. This unsustainable use of natural resources is exactly the type of conduct the IPCC have condemned in their recent report.”