Killing gliders the plan for Qld timber sector despite 'dodgy data'

The Queensland Government has doubled down on its plans to lock in native forest logging for another 25 years, confirming fears nature has been completely sidelined in a desperate bid to breathe life into Queensland's failing native timber sector.

In a statement issued today Minister for Primary Industries Anthony Perrett confirmed his draft Future Timber Plan was "on track" to be delivered next month.

The news comes after the Queensland Conservation Council revealed the draft timber plan contained false data on the amount of native timber needed to build homes, with Minister Perrett silent on the source of the disputed figure.

QCC Protected Areas Campaigner Nicky Moffat said

The State Government wants Queenslanders to believe that they need to kill greater gliders to build new homes, but this is blatantly false.

Native timber is not relevant when it comes to discussions about how homes will be built, it accounts for less than 10%, with most timber needs being supported by softwood plantations and hardwood native timbers only used for luxury items like floorboards and decorative timber cladding.

We know logging is killing endangered animals: chainsaws don’t even need to stop when a greater glider is spotted.

Just a couple of months ago we found dozens of endangered greater gliders in forests earmarked for logging near Maryborough and notified the Department of Primary Industries - but they don’t care. Logging continues.

Who in their right mind is going to want timber that has cost the lives of iconic wildlife?

The best thing the Crisafulli Government can do to secure the future of the timber industry is invest in plantations and engineered wood product manufacturing, which will create vastly more jobs than the ailing native forest sector ever could, while supporting house construction.

Around Australia we are seeing the phase out of native forest logging on public lands - Victoria and Western Australia ended the destructive practice last year, while New South Wales last week halted logging in 175,000 hectares of forest ahead of the new Great Koala National Park being created.

Meanwhile in Queensland, the last strongholds of our iconic southern and central greater glider are being trashed. When will Queensland get with the program?

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