PLEASE WRITE A LETTER TO PREMIER BOB CARR

PLEASE WRITE A LETTER TO PREMIER BOB CARR

c/- Parliament House, Sydney 2000,
fax 02 9228 3933,
bob.carr@www.nsw.gov.au

Hand written letters have shown to be a very effective tool in persuading politicians when making decisions. Please ask Bob Carr to protect the critical habitat of endangered species such as the Koala, Yellow-bellied Glider, Spotted-tail Quoll and Masked Owl. In order for this to happen, he needs to know that the people out there care about forests. This is where you come in! Please take the time to write to Bob Carr and tell him that you do care about our precious environment and the animals that live there.

Points to make in your letter: These points are taken from resolutions of the NSW Forest Summit held in Sydney in December 2002. You can list all of them or just the ones that you feel like.

STOP PRESS, MARCH 16 2003.

LAST WEEK BOB CARR MADE AN UNAMBIGUOUS ELECTION PROMISE TO PROTECT 65,000 HA OF THE BEST REMAINING UNPROTECTED FORESTS IN NE NSW INCLUDING THE ICON FORESTS WE HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING FOR, INCLUDING THE BEST HABITAT OF OUR ENDANGERED SPECIES. PREDICTABLY THE COALITION PARTIES, THE INDUSTRY AND THE LOGGERS ARE SCREAMING TO TRY AND MAKE HIM GO BACK ON THIS PROMISE. PLEASE PREFACE ALL YOUR LETTERS TO CARR CONGRATULATING HIM ON THIS VISIONARY PROMISE BUT ADDING THAT MORE IS NEEDED. IN PARTICULAR ...

Please honour your 1995 election promises to protect old-growth forests and stop export woodchipping by the year 2000.

I reject the entire motion of so called ‘waste (residual) wood’. ‘Waste’, as it is currently termed, constitutes the majority of logged trees and includes habitat for threatened species, old growth forests, stands as a reservoir of biodiversity and is an important factor in regulating water flows and maintaining catchment health. I support the call by environment groups for an immediate moratorium on waste wood and residue industries such as woodchipping, charcoal production and electricity generation based on co-firing.

I support the Western Conservation Alliance proposals for reserves and restructuring of the timber industry and the economy in the Brigalow Belt South Bio-Region. I call on you to honour your 2001 Action for the Environment commitment to protect the Western Woodlands by the end of 2002.