Australia’s parliament is to have a final vote on a bill to create 12 forest reserves in northern New South Wales.
The proposal has already passed an initial vote in the Lower House despite some objections from members who want to see plantations in the reserves remain open for logging.
Andrew Fraser, shadow forestry minister, believes a compromise will be reached in which plantations will become reserves after they are eventually logged.
He said plantation timber must be logged in the reserve areas otherwise it would send the wrong signals to private foresters and the forestry plantation programme.
