Australia: Garrett & Wong give up on forest protection at home & abroad

The two federal ministers responsible for Australian efforts to combat
deforestation in the Asia-Pacific region have washed their hands of
responsibility for the importation of millions of litres of biodiesel
made from palm oil. Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Climate
Change Minister Penny Wong, who have co-ordinated the deforestation
campaign as a central plank of the Government’s climate change
response, have passed the buck on the issue to each other and to
Resources Minister Martin Ferguson.

The Australian reported yesterday
that the taxpayer-subsidised biodiesel imports were undermining the
Government’s $200 million commitment to reduce deforestation in the
region, with palm oil plantations accounting for much of the
destruction of tropical rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia. Demand
for the imported fuel is likely to rise when NSW legislates to
introduce Australia’s first biodiesel mandate — 2per cent this year,
rising to 5 per cent. Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said
the Government should initiate an urgent investigation into the
consequences of Australian biodiesel imports for Asian rainforests.
Australian Greens deputy leader Christine Milne said the Government
should end the exemption from the 38.14c-a-litre fuel excise enjoyed
by the sellers of palm-oil-based biodiesel.

“The Government says
Indonesia and Malaysia should stop logging their forest carbon stores,
and we’ll pay them to do so, then they are subsidising the destruction
of those forests to produce biofuels,” Senator Milne said. Mr Garrett,
who raised concerns about biofuel subsidies in Opposition, said the
issue was one for Senator Wong. Senator Wong said the issue was best
handled by Mr Ferguson. Mr Ferguson said he was aware of reports
questioning the sustainability of biofuels using existing practices
and feedstocks. “That’s why the Government is investing in research
and development of second-generation biofuels.” Domestically produced
biodiesel is based mainly on tallow, made from fat and bone wastes
from abattoirs and butchers. David Kassulke, manager of AJ Bush and
Sons’ rendering plant at Beaudesert, west of Brisbane, said its
facility produced 1500 tonnes of tallow a year for the biodiesel
industry. He said the operation had the capacity to supply a plant
producing 60 million litres of biodiesel annually, but attempts to
gain approval for such a venture had been frustrated by government
regulations and taxes.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24973116-5013871,00.html

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