Markets for Change continues its hallmark deceit and trickery with a sham report into koala habitat and forestry in New South Wales according to Senator Richard Colbeck. Source: Timberbiz
“Yet again Markets for Change is deceiving the public with deliberately emotive and totally fictitious mistruths aimed at destroying the reputation of Australia’s well-managed working forests,” Coalition Forestry Spokesman Senator Richard Colbeck said.
“Markets for Change has even used a graphic image of koala remains in the report and claimed it to be the result of logging when a previous investigation had already determined this koala’s injuries and death were the result of a dog attack, not forestry.
“I’m also advised the koala image used was taken in forest 15km away from the area Markets for Change refers to in its report. Further, it was taken five years ago in a plantation area – not native forest – some time after harvesting had finished.
“Markets for Change has damaged its own credibility with this biased report.
“However, the concern remains that unassuming members of the community will see this campaign and wrongly question the management practices of Forests NSW.
“Contrary to Markets for Change’s claims, New South Wales’ public forests are responsibly and sustainably harvested under the Australian Forestry Standard which is endorsed by the international PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification).
“It is an absolute fallacy that Forests NSW, and also private forestry operations for that matter, do not actively protect koala habitat as there are significant prescriptions in place.
Senator Richard Colbeck said Markets for Change’s misinformation stunt was another example of why environmental activist groups should not have “charity” status from the Australian Tax Office.
“As I have said previously, I think Australians have very firm views about what a charity does and I don’t think they consider an enviro-political activist group that deliberately deceives about koala deaths to deserve the same concessions as groups like Red Cross or Make-A-Wish Foundation,” said Senator Colbeck.
