29th May 2024, 10:44 AM – Representatives Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment (Strengthening Measures to Prevent Illegal Timber Trade) Bill 2024 - Report from Federation Chamber - End native forest logging

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time". Reading a bill a second time is equivalent to agreeing with the main idea of the bill. If this amendment had been successful, if would have replaced those words with the words below.

Amendment text

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) each year around 300,000 hectares of Australia's native forests and woodlands are lost to logging and land clearing;

(b) if Australia ceased all logging of native forests, the avoided emissions alone would be close to what is needed annually (15.5 Mt CO2) to achieve our national target of a 43 per cent reduction on 2005 levels of emission by 2030; and

(c) Australia's native forests are among the most carbon-dense in the world; and

(2) calls on the Government to end native forest logging immediately".