Just prior to Ms Kelly's anouncement, Malaysia, which supplies
85% of Australia's tropical timber, warned Industry Minister John
Button that cooperation between the two nations would be affected
if Australia imposed restrictions on tropical timber imports
Button appeared to preempt the upcoming cabinet decision when he
said that the Government's position on the matter would be
"satisfactory to Malaysia."
Ms Kelly and Resources Minister Griffiths are due to put a sub-
mission to Cabinet early in 1992 that recommends ways Australia
can help South East Asian countries develop logging practises
that sustain forests. Referring to the submission, Ms Kelly said
"It is not a proposal to ban the importation of tropical
timber...I don't think there will be any problems for interna
tional relations."
The Department of Foreign Affairs reportedly opposed any ban on
tropical timber imports because it would offend Australia's
neighbours.
Asked about a backlash from conservationists, Ms Kelly said: "The
view we have taken is that we would rather be in than out. You
don't have any bargaining power if you opt for a ban. Do you want
to stand on your high horse and achieve a moral victory or do you
want a practicable outcome, which is sustainable forest practices
with our neighbours."
Ms. Kelly said the submission was not confrontationist. "It is a
cooperative one where we will work to achieve outcomes which we
believe are important, which are sustainable forest practices."
The submission is likely to include increased aid for rainforest
management in Asian nations.
Ms. Kelly declined to say whether she thought the region's for
ests were being destroyed. "The question is too simplistic to say
yes or no."
In April 1989, Senator Graham Richardson, then Minister for the
Environment, expressed concern about the world's vanishing tropi-
cal forests and first raised the possibility of trade restric-
tions on the importationof tropical timber into Australia. Rich-
ardson announced the Governmnet's would commission a report on
rainforest logging."Once I've got the information" he said, "I
hope to come up with a submission that will enable us to stop
importing rainforest timber absolutely."
Since that time, the decision has been postponed repeatedly.
Cabinet has still not delivered its official verdict, but Ros
Kelly's statement puts an end to hopes of trade restrictions
being imposed in the near future. Rather than place restrictons
on the destructive trade in tropical timber, she announced that
Cabinet will opt for aid measures which she claims will encourage
Asian nations to develop sustainable tropical forestry practices.
This decision ignores the virtual impossibility of achieving
sustainable commercial logging of tropical forests. Even the
International Tropical Timber Organisation, the body which regu-
lates the international trade in tropical timber, admits there is
not one convincing example of sustainable large-scale logging in
tropical rainforests anywhere in the world.
In another recent statement, Kelly said that `the need to pre-
serve the planet's biological diversity has never been more
pressing', but this decision shows that the government is pre-
pared to sacrifice that biodiversity to avoid upsetting Malaysia
and our other neighbours.
It is now up to Australian consumers to take the stand that the
Federal Government has not had the courage for. The reported 45%
drop in New Zealand's imports of tropical timber, and similar
success stories of consumer boycotts in Europe show that it is
possible for environment groups to have a significant impact on
demand for tropical timber.
By publicising the issue, environment groups can make consumers
aware of the fact that by buying tropical timber, they are help
ing to destroy the Earth's irreplaceable biodiversity, and that
they are aiding in the destruction of the homes of the millions
of forest dwellers.
Source: The Age, Melbourne, 12 Dec 1991