TasFarmers, Media Release, 25 November 2025
TasFarmers is calling for caution on proposed reforms to Australia’s national environmental laws, warning that rushed decisions driven by ideology and activism, rather than science, risk creating worse outcomes for communities, the environment and long-term climate resilience.
Tasmanian farmers manage almost a million hectares of forest and are responsible for its fire safety, ecological integrity and long-term health. TasFarmers maintains that private native forests must be actively managed through fuel reduction, cool burns and evidence-based forestry practices that support their natural ecology and community safety.
CEO Nathan Calman said commentary from some special-interest groups was not grounded in climate science, which was deeply concerning given the influence those voices are having on the direction of the legislation.
Mr Calman said, “If the Greens get their way and this legislation is rushed through, we risk locking in worse long-term climate outcomes.
“Unmanaged native forests won’t sequester carbon effectively, and under catastrophic fire conditions, we could lose biodiversity and stored carbon in a single event.
“Extreme protectionist models ignore decades of evidence on fuel reduction, ecological fire regimes and active forest management. These proposals show a clear lack of experience in real-world policy settings, Mr Calman said.
Mr Calman highlighted that fundamental concepts remain undefined in the bill, creating unacceptable risk at a critical stage.
“Proposed changes to Australia’s national environmental laws, including reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, should not be rushed through in the final sitting week of Parliament.
“Key terms such as ‘nature positive’ are still unclear in the context of managing native forests. Attempting to legislate major reforms without clear definitions is dangerous.
“We don’t have clarity on what these terms will mean in practice, in any single case. It could mean banning cool burns that support healthy regrowth or ending selective harvesting that maintains biodiversity and reduces fuel loads,” Mr Calman said.
TasFarmers warns that unmanaged, overgrown forests store less carbon and are far more vulnerable to severe fires, increasing the likelihood of losing entire ecosystems.
“Without the ability to actively manage private native forests, we risk catastrophic fires that destroy ecosystems, release stored carbon and endanger the communities living beside them. Poorly designed reforms could actually worsen long-term climate outcomes.
“It is unacceptable to put rural communities at greater fire risk and to disregard the land-management practices used by traditional owners for thousands of years,” Mr Calman said.
TasFarmers is also concerned that the draft legislation fails to protect agricultural land, creating a pathway for major emitters to buy productive farmland for carbon offsets rather than reducing emissions at the source.
TasFarmers is urging the Federal Government to slow the process, define key concepts, and ensure decisions are based on science, practical management and the safety of communities and the environment.
For a quick overview of the science behind sustainable forest management, including carbon storage, biodiversity, and fire risk reduction, see our accompanying fact sheet Environmental Benefits of Active Native Forest Management – Fact Sheet.
