Rescuing special pieces of Tasmania’s ancient rainforests
Rainforest Rescue recently succeded in buying back and protecting forever 80 hectares of pristine old growth rainforest in the north east of Tasmania. This property, called ‘Forest Lodge’, had a purchase price of $80,000. At just $1,000 per hectare, this represented exceptional value for what we believe is priceless rainforest. We need your help to continue to rescue further special rainforest like this forever.
Over the years we’ve been asked by our supporters on many occasions if we have any plans to buy land in Tasmania.
What your donation will achieve
$1,000 will purchase and protect 10,000 sqm (1 hectare)
$500 will purchase and protect 5,000 sqm
$250 will purchase and protect $2,500 sqm
$125 will purchase and protect 1,250 sqm
$100 will purchase and protect 1,000 sqm
$50 will purchase and protect 500 sqm
$25 will purchase and protect 250 sqm
The background to our Tasmanian Rainforest Buy-back Project
In June 2010, Gunns Limited auctioned 28,000 hectares of Tasmanian land, after a strategic decision to stop the native forest logging part of their operations (they are still in plantation logging). A small number of properties were sold to a range of private parties – many of them likely to be other logging companies.
However, two philanthropists – Robert Purves and Kathmandu founder Jan Cameron – have assisted the Tasmanian Land Conservancy to purchase the remaining 27,388 hectares of the Gunns-owned properties – at a total cost of $23.3 million.
Recent developments in Tasmania:
Recently, the forestry industry and conservationists in Tasmania have had a breakthrough in negotiations and have signed an agreement to end native forest logging in Tasmania – although the deal as it is evolving is being made contingent on environmental lobby groups support for the Gunn's Tamar Valley Pulp Mill. If this agreement goes ahead it will only protect State Forests, or land owned on by the government. Any privately owned forest or rainforests would still be threatened by logging and development.
After a thorough assessment of the land that was purchased, Rainforest Rescue has committed to buying, managing and protecting forever significant properties considered to be high conservation value rainforest.
For more information, please contact kelvin@rainforestrescue.org.au or telephone Kelvin on 1300 763 611.
- More information on Tasmanian Rainforest Ecology
- A map of the Forest Lodge protected rainforest
- View PDF version of appeal materials (1.8mb)
Links to other Tasmanian Rainforest Stories
- Holding up Gunns through secret deals - Richard Flanagan 28.03.11 4:15 am
- Tasmania's rainforest at risk from mining - Kathy Marks - 27/03/2011
