The ‘olive branch’ groups say their genuine offer to smooth the way for the forest industry to return to forest peace talks remains on the table despite its rejection by the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania (FIAT).

Whilst disappointed by the forest industry position, the groups point out that the Tasmanian government holds the key to ensuring a moratorium on logging high conservation value forests, in return for which they offer to suspend market action in Japan.

“Our offer is genuine and remains on the table despite the forest industry’s very disappointing outright rejection, as ultimately the power to impose a logging moratorium to try and get things on track lies with the Tasmanian government,” said Peg Putt for Markets for Change.

“We sent a letter to the government formally outlining our offer and have had an acknowledgment of receipt of the letter.”

“Just as FIAT has been in communication with Ta Ann customer companies in recent days so have we, providing an update on the independent verification group’s expert reports and on our offer of a market moratorium for a forests moratorium. We do not accept that our international or domestic communications should be censored whilst other forest industry stakeholders remain free to say and do whatever they please.”

“Consumers these days are concerned to know about the environmental impacts of the products they buy and want assurance that it is really eco-friendly when advertised as such, not misleading advertising like that in Japan that wrongly describes Ta Ann Tasmania’s plywood flooring range as plantation grown,” said Jenny Weber of the Huon Valley Environment Centre.

“It is not reasonable to expect that devastation of verified high conservation value forest is not restrained but that campaigns in defence of the forests are scuttled. That is a one-sided recipe without any element of compromise.”

Still Wild Still Threatened, Huon Valley Environment Centre, Markets for Change and The Last Stand.