Great Southern Plantations destroying Tiwi Islands

From the newswire February 8, 2007: Perth-based tax minimisation company Great Southern Plantations Ltd (GSP) are responsible for a massive native forest clearfelling project on the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin. GSP plan to expand its massive venture to clearfell to around 80,000 hectares of native bush. GSP's venture is the single largest native vegetation/native forest clearing project in northern Australia. Last year's clearing of 10,000ha is comparable to the total annual native forest clearfelling in Tasmania. Many endangered and endemic species live in these forests and in adjacent rainflorest patches which are being degraded as a result of the clearing.

GSP's forestry project is now under investigation by the Commonwealth Department of Environment following evidence of widespread breaches of the environmental protection conditions that the project is legally obliged to comply with, e.g. buffers around rainforest patches; protection of endangered species etc. This expansion would be "ecologically, economically and culturally disastrous..." 500 local people have petitioned against the company.

Following an action at the Great Southern Plantation's AGM, and a response on Perth Indymedia to a recent feature article about the ongoing Tiwi project, the Environment Centre of the Northern Territory have corrected several misleading statements made by Mr Ikin of Great Southern Plantations in relation to the ongoing destruction of Tiwi Island forest for woodchip plantations...

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CORRECTIONS to Great Southern Plantation Ltd's PR manager || Anger over forestry plan || Great Southern Plantations shares fall after protest || Protesters rally at GREAT SOUTHERN PLANTATIONS AGM || Great Southern Plantations Ltd: ripping the heart out of Tiwi Islands