Senator Peter Whish-Wilson has called on Tasmanian Minister for Resources Guy Barnett to not withhold critical information needed for bushfire research.

This data includes:

• maps showing fire impacts
• photo interpreted data
• historical forest loss
• forest change layer since logging commenced on public land in Tasmania

Senator Whish-Wilson said, "as Tasmania approaches bushfire season yet again, access to this information is critical.

Greens climate and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, has said the latest IPCC climate report released today is a giant SOS for our forests and land, particularly in Australia.
 
The IPCC’s Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems report released in Geneva says that reforestation, protection of forests and a shift away from unsustainable intensive farming systems is critical to solving the climate crisis.

Labor’s latest backflip, abandoning support for more native forest reserves in Tasmania, including 356,000ha of permanent reserves, shows they cannot be trusted to protect the environment or tackle climate change.

“Labor talks big about overhauling environment laws and taking strong action on climate change, but has now backflipped on protecting vast areas of Tasmania’s native forests,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens forest spokesperson.

You just can’t trust Labor on environment laws overhaul after the Victorian Labor government increases the native forest area open to logging, say the Australian Greens.

"This is a disastrous decision by the Andrews Labor government," said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens forests spokesperon.

"For the Victorian Labor government to increase the area of forest to be logged and extend native forest logging to 2028 is a disaster for our forests, a disaster for our climate, a disaster for water security, and a disaster for threatened animals."

With the stroke of a pen rolling over last century’s destructive logging laws, WA Labor has signed the death warrant on threatened animals like the critically endangered Western Ringtail Possum, say the Australian Greens.

“This rollover is the first by a Labor government. While federal Labor talks tall about strengthening federal environmental laws, the WA Labor government is allowing precious native forests to be destroyed for another 20 years,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens forests spokesperson.

The Australian Greens welcome the acknowledgement from the federal agriculture minister and the Victorian environment minister that native forest logging is unsustainable and contributes to climate change.

“It’s clear that native forest logging in Victoria and across the country must end immediately and that the destructive logging laws, the Regional Forest Agreements, must be scrapped," said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens forests spokesperson.

Your chance to be part of democracy in action this federal election.

Are you passionate about tackling our climate crisis? LGBTIQ+ rights? Economic inequality? The environment? Social justice? And are you looking to be part of the solution? Here’s your opportunity to gain first-hand experience volunteering in Senator Janet Rice’s office and make an impact.

Senator Janet Rice is looking for volunteers to join her Melbourne team from March until June 2019.