Forest for us

There is news for both sides of the political divide as far as forests are concerned. It is sobering to the Left to note that 1.1 million hectares (30%) of the Rainforest forest type are on private land while equally notable is the fact that 

 More than half of Australia’s forests (69.5 million hectares, 52% of Australia's forest area) is identified as part of the Indigenous forest estate as one of four broad Indigenous land tenure and management categories: Indigenous owned and managed; Indigenous managed; Indigenous co-managed; and Other special rights. About 69% of this forest area is in Queensland and the Northern Territory.​

[Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment]

So, instead of the usual standby of dodgy quotes or insult, a future debating point might be in the above paragraph. At least in response to some bright bushy-tailed commentators suggesting land be 'returned to its owners'. Those who make their living by axe and chainsaw, bulldozer and brushcutter, may find cause to oppose restrictions on their trade on the basis that there is so much land still forested.

(Not that I'm suggesting that the resentful and destructive switch tactics. We win the debate, they win the election.)