When Parliament returns next week the Australian Greens will move a motion to condemn the Abbott government for its attempt to withdraw ancient forests from the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, and to send a clear message to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee that Australians do not back the government's pro-logging ideology.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne has today accepted the delivery of a petition of over 68,000 signatures calling for the Abbott government to protect Tasmania's ancient forests and abandon its plan to wrench them out of the World Heritage Area and allow logging.

"Winding back World Heritage protection will make us a global laughing stock," Senator Milne said.

Confirmation today from Environment Minister Greg Hunt that the Abbott government is acting on its threat to destroy Tasmania's globally recognised World Heritage area will also destroy Australia's international standing and open up divisions in the Tasmanian community.

"The world was shocked when the Taliban bombed Afghanistan's World Heritage recognised Buddha statues and will be again when it hears of Tony Abbott's attempts to cut down Tasmania's World Heritage forests," Greens Leader Senator Milne said.

It has been 111 days since the election and Australians are now enjoying the end of year sales, but Tony Abbott's government has been ticking off a shopping list of 125 environmental approvals for projects.

"Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt are rushing through environmental approvals at a rate of more than one a day," Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"They can't hand back approval powers to the states and weaken environmental protection fast enough for their big business mates, so Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt are rushing through projects with a rubber stamp.

The Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, speaks in the Senate on how the big coalminers of Australia have pulled the strings of the Abbott government to the detriment of the Great Barrier Reef.

Will Hodgman has declared war on people who care about our forests but it's an approach that has been tried and failed and further risks the future of the forest industry, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said today.

"Twenty years ago Liberal Leader Ray Groom tried to silence dissent through draconian anti-protest laws and he failed. Will Hodgman is set to go down the same path with this flawed approach," Senator Milne said.

The ongoing equivocation within the Liberal Party over Tasmania's World Heritage Area is endangering the state's tourism and food branding, risking community division and will hurt the very people Tony Abbott says he wants to help, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said today.

"The community does not want a reignition of the ‘forest wars', which is what would happen if redneck elements within the Liberal Party get their way and scuttle the World Heritage Area," Senator Milne said.

Alarm bells are ringing for our World Heritage Area following the federal government's refusal today to confirm whether it would honour the commitment to fund conservation management under the forests agreement, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"At Senate Estimates today I asked when the $7 million committed for conservation management to look after our new reserve areas was due to be paid to the Tasmanian Government.

"Instead of receiving a date I was told the funding was now ‘under consideration' by the new government.

The Abbott government has turned its back on saving the Tassie devil with proposed changes to federal environmental law announced today, Greens Leader Christine Milne said today.

"Federal law requires the Environment Minister to consider advice about how to protect threatened plants and animals when deciding to approve projects," Senator Milne said.

"Under these changes the minister would be able to approve mines in the Tarkine, and other areas of the state, without considering a key piece of expert advice on what the devil and other threatened species need to survive.

Hydro Tasmania's record profits and their flow through to state coffers will be at risk if the Liberals scrap the price on pollution, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said today.

"Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt want us to believe that scrapping the price on pollution won't damage the bottom line, but the Direct Action sham cannot compensate Tasmania for the massive hit to Hydro's profits," Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said.