MEDIA RELEASE
2 September 2008

Environment Centre slams export of Tassie trees for Japanese forest furnace.

The Huon Valley Environment Centre has attacked Forestry Tasmania and Gunns' plans to send forests to be burnt in Japanese power stations and called for a full climate change assessment of wood fired power stations.

"It is disturbing that on the day FT announce a corporate makeover, they also announce that that they will be sending millions of tonnes of our forests to be burnt in Japanese power stations," said Huon Valley Environment Centre spokesperson Will Mooney.

"Intensified harvesting and burning of undisturbed native forests is not renewable or carbon neutral, and it is deceptive for Forestry Tasmania to suggest that it is."

"Forestry Tasmania's admission that there has been no analysis of the climate change impact of this activity is also worrying," Mr Mooney said.

"Recent research by ANU scientists has highlighted the immense carbon storage value of Tasmania's undisturbed native forests. When old growth forests are used as a fuel source, wood fired power stations cannot be carbon neutral because re-planted forests are never allowed to grow old enough to make up for the lost carbon."

"Fuel wood harvesting leads to intensified logging, impacts on biodiversity and loss of stored carbon. The Huon Valley Environment Centre is calling for a full, life cycle analysis of the climate change impact of wood fired power stations and fuel wood exports."

"We also note that Labor MP for Eden-Monaro Mike Kelly has ruled out the use of native forest harvest residue in a wood fired plant planned for Eden. If wood-fired power stations are not good enough for regional communities in New South Wales, then they are not good enough for Tasmania. The Huon Valley Environment Centre has recently written to Tasmanian MPs in electorates where wood fired power plants are planned asking them to clarify the ALP's position on this controversial practice."