Mediaboss Marketing

Tasmania's new Resources Minister is disputing claims certification of the state's forests could be jeopardised if the peace deal is repealed.

The Government yesterday outlined plans to dismantle the deal by moving to unlock 400,000 hectares of protected forests for logging in six years.

The chief auditor from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Robert Hrubes says that could affect the status of any certified forests.

Forestry Tasmania is working towards securing environmental certification for a total of 900,000 hectares.

Mr Hrubes says the organisation's bid for certification could be jeopardised if it logs an area of forest that was tied with deal.

"Let's for the moment assume that FT (Forestry Tasmania) had achieved certification on the 900,000 ha prior to that point in time, and if FT was involved in the logging of that 400,000 ha, it would arise then as an issue about whether or not they can maintain their certification," he said.

Resources Minister Paul Harriss says the government is working closely with FT and has guarantees that the certification will not be jeopardised.

"That's entirely why we've provided this six-year moratorium, so we can work productively and cooperatively with the industry and those who seek to rebuild the industry and grow it into the future and continue to harvest only on that land which is described as non-contentious," he said.

"The FSC certification will not be compromised by this new process."

The Government has been accused of reneging on its promise to dismantle the peace deal in full.

Read more from the original source:

Liberals reject suggestions end to forest peace deal will jeopardise accreditation