FEDERAL Environment Minister Tony Burke fears the Tasmanian Forest Agreement may fall apart if the Legislative Council prevents a World Heritage nomination going ahead by the end of this month.
Mr Burke turned up the pressure on the Legislative Council to finalise its position, saying yesterday Australia had until the end of January to make the nomination part of the TFA.
However, the Legislative Council committee has scheduled hearings for the week after next and is unlikely to meet the deadline.
There was to be a World Heritage nomination for 130,000ha within 500,000ha of proposed reserves by January 31.
Mr Burke said he was not sure the agreement would stand up if a World Heritage nomination was made before the forestry industry achieved job and other gains. He said the spirit of the agreement was that gains by environmentalists and industry move in tandem.
"That means a decision needs to be made before the end of the month."
Mr Burke flew to Tasmania yesterday to talk to signatories about the looming deadline.
He met the Legislative Council president Sue Smith but said it was a coincidence his visit clashed with the Legislative Council hearings.
Mr Burke said he had not foreseen a situation where the Legislative Council did not pass the Bill and sent it to a committee.
"The change of timing throws that entire process on its head," he said.
"An end of January deadline is now extraordinarily difficult to navigate.
"Some people say that if a nomination does not go ahead it will blow the agreement apart, but if it were to go forward it runs the risk of upsetting the balance."
Mr Burke said that if a nomination went ahead it would not be withdrawn but it might be possible to get industry support by other means and it was likely he would come back to Tasmania before the end of the month.
Forest Industries Association chief executive Terry Edwards and Wilderness Society campaigner Vica Bayley could not be contacted for comment. Neither could Sue Smith or council committee chairman Paul Harriss.
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