9th Sep 2024, 12:12 PM – Senate Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment (Strengthening Measures to Prevent Illegal Timber Trade) Bill 2024 - Second Reading - Native forests

The majority voted against a second reading amendment introduced by ACT Senator David Pocock (Independent), which means it failed. The amendment would have added the words below to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill).

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) notes that:

(i) native forest logging operates at a loss in Australia and is heavily subsidised by Australian governments,

(ii) native forest logging is driving at least 48 Australian native wildlife/fauna species, and many more native flora species, towards extinction, including the Swift Parrot, Koala and Greater Glider,

(iii) native forest logging has operated under an exemption from Australia's environment law for 25 years, which has accelerated the loss of forest-dwelling species and caused ecosystem decline, with some forest ecosystems now at risk of collapse,

(iv) in the last 25 years of native forest logging in Australia, more than one in four forest-dependant threatened fauna species have officially moved closer to extinction, 15 previously common forest-dependant fauna have been added to the list of species threatened with extinction, and a record high number of forest-dwelling fauna are now formally listed as threatened with extinction,

(v) Australia's native forests are key carbon sinks and ending native forest logging would contribute substantially to achieving the 43% by 2030 climate target; and

(b) calls on the Government to remove the loophole that prevents national environmental laws from being applied to Regional Forest Agreements and develop a transition package for impacted communities".