Green group backs union's logging warning
Posted
The Conservation Council of Western Australia has welcomed the forestry union's warning that too much native forest is being harvested.
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union has called for a meeting with WA Premier Colin Barnett, saying harvesting rates are 30 per cent too high.
The union has warned the industry needs urgent intervention or jobs will be lost.
The council's Beth Schultz says it is about time the industry publicly acknowledged that too much native timber is being felled.
"We think that the over-cutting rate is a great deal more than 30 per cent, 50 per cent is probably nearer the mark," she said.
"It's been going on for so long that the forests are in a very degraded state.
"We think now is the time to end all native forest logging and that is the policy of the conservation council."
The council will seek its own meeting with the Premier to convince him to end native forest logging.
