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FOREST CONSERVATION NEWS TODAY
Tasmanian Timber Industry Buy-Out?
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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org, Inc.
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September 14, 2004
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY by Glen Barry, Ph.D., Forests.org
There are indications that Australia's Prime Minister John Howard is
finalizing a multi-million-dollar compensation package to end old-growth
logging in Tasmania. Recall Tasmania's ancient old-growth forests are
being chipped into pulp to make paper (about 5.5 million cubic meters in
2000) in unconscionable violence against the Earth. Less than 13 percent
of Tasmanian old growth forest remains. If a timber industry buy-out were
implemented, rights to log some 390,000 hectares of remaining Tasmanian
old-growth would be negated. Tasmania's forest mismanagement, including
large-scale clearing of native forests for plantations, impacts on water,
and the effects of toxic chemical use; have drawn local, national and
international outrage and calls for a federal inquiry.
Rapid fire Tasmanian forest policy discussions are occurring against the
backdrop of pending Australian elections, where the green vote may prove
decisive, and one-upmanship on environmental policy is rampant. While
only speculation at this point (though widely reported), this would set a
marvelous precedent. Destructive and inherently unsustainable industrial
harvest of ancient old-growth forests must end in Tasmania and throughout
the World. If need be, those that have amassed capital to liquidate these
ecosystems may be compensated – but then the industrial harvest ends,
period.
Forests.org continues to follow the situation at
http://forests.org/south_pacific/ . Thankfully, WWF's atrocious plan to
greenwash continued old-growth logging appears to have met a timely death,
in Tasmania at least. Thank you for your pressure in this regard. If a
rich, developed country like Australia can not find the will to protect
their last ancient forest legacy, there is no hope for any old, large
forests anywhere. Australia, please lead. Indeed, Tasmania and
Australia's reputation is as much at stake as the wild forests themselves.
g.b.
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
ITEM #1
Title: Hint of Howard logging buy-out
Source: Copyright 2004, The Mercury
Date: September 15, 2004
By ELLEN WHINNETT, Chief Reporter
PRIME Minister John Howard appears to be finalising a multi-million-dollar
compensation package to end old-growth logging in Tasmania.
Speculation is growing that Mr Howard is about to release a policy in
which the Government would buy out the rights of timber companies to log
in 390,000 hectares of publicly owned Tasmanian old-growth forest.
Mr Howard's office yesterday refused to comment on the reports, and staff
for Federal Labor leader Mark Latham dismissed the issue as
"speculation".
Gunns Ltd boss John Gay was in talks yesterday with the Federal
Government.
Both federal leaders have said they will release Tasmanian forest policies
in the run-up to the election on October 9, as the battle intensifies to
win environmentally aware voters in urban Sydney and Melbourne.
The Greens used the report in an interstate newspaper to up the ante on
Labor, with Australian Greens leader Bob Brown warning Mr Latham not to be
caught flat-footed.
The logging industry reacted furiously, calling for the Government to
stand by its commitment.
Forest Industries Association of Tasmania chief executive Terry Edwards
said if either party ended old-growth logging the industry would need to
be compensated for a loss of income exceeding $9 billion.
"This figure excludes any measure of compensation for business closure,
redundancy, retooling or the ongoing costs of managing a significantly
enhanced reserve system."
Tasmanian Liberal leader Rene Hidding tried to keep out of the debate,
saying the report was speculative.
Premier Paul Lennon complained the state had become a political football
in the lead-up to the election.
Mr Lennon said the Prime Minister had signed the Regional Forests
Agreement in 1997 and now looked set to walk away from it.
"I think Tasmanians are sick of being used as a political football during
federal elections. Every federal election since the early 1980s has seen
Tasmania used as a political football," he said. "My challenge to the
Prime Minister and everyone else involved in this debate is to look at
old-growth logging practices in New South Wales and Victoria and treat
Tasmania the same as them."
Senator Brown again held out a Greens preference deal as a carrot for the
major parties, saying his party was "looking forward with great
anticipation to John Howard's package on forests".
Timber Communities Australia Tasmanian spokesman Barry Chipman said the
election was all about trust, and timber families trusted the signature
John Howard had put on the forests agreement.
ITEM #2
Title: Tasmanian Forest Cutting Prompts Calls for Judicial Inquiry
Source: Copyright 2004, Environment News Service
Date: September 2, 2004
CANBERRA, Australia, September 2, 2004 (ENS) - The drumroll for protection
of the old growth forests of Australia's island state, Tasmania, is
spreading from conservation groups to the elected representatives. As
election day approaches on October 9, Labor, Liberal, Democrat and Green
members of the Australian Senate Plantation Forests Committee today called
for a federal inquiry into forest practices in Tasmania.
This federal election will "decide the fate of Tasmania’s irreplaceable
forests," said Wilderness Society spokesperson Vica Bayley. "Without
federal government support, most of Tasmania’s unprotected old growth
forests will be gone in the next five years.”
To ensure that future generations do not look back and regret the
destruction of Tasmania's heritage and related long term tourism
prospects, I am of the view that high value old growth forest clearing
needs to cease immediately, said Senator Bill Heffernan of Sydney, who is
a member of the ruling Liberal Party.
Senator Aden Ridgeway called for "a judicial review with full powers of
subpoena." The Democrat from New South Wales said "In the light of the
deeply entrenched culture of secrecy perceived by the general community
surrounding both industry and government involved in forestry issues in
Tasmania," said Ridgeway, the judicial review "is necessary."
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures for the year 2000, the
latest available, show that Tasmania wood chipped 5.5 million metric tons
for the year, the highest ever recorded. Figures for 2001, 2002 and 2003
are not unavailable as the ABS does not monitor these figures any more.
An average of 20,000 hectares of Tasmanian native forest are clearcut and
burned each year, and Tasmania has one of the highest rates of land
clearing in the developed world, with 80,000 hectares of native forest
converted to plantations in the last seven years, according to a policy
paper issued by the Wilderness Society and other conservation groups in
August.
A proposal to save the Tasmanian old growth was offered by the coalition.
They say the use of 1080 poison to reduce native wildlife numbers in areas
established for plantations should be banned. 1080 poison kills thousands
of possums and wallabies as well as ‘non-target’ species such as
bettongs, quolls and wombats every year.
"It must surely be unacceptable in this day and age that we
indiscriminately poison hundreds of thousands of native wildlife, birds,
fish and other animals, through the continued use of and reliance on 1080
poison - pesticides and herbicides," said Senator Shayne Murphy of
Tasmania.
And Senator Bob Brown of the Greens, who represents Tasmania, said,
"Tasmania's high conservation-value forests should no longer be seen as a
future pile of woodchips, nor its native wildlife as a fair target for
1080 poisoning to meet the commercial wishes of Gunns Pty Ltd. Tasmania's
reputation is as much at stake as the wild forests themselves."
The Australia Conservation Organization, Greenpeace, and The Wilderness
Society plus and 16 community conservation organizations in Tasmania say
the future of Tasmania's old growth forests is in the balance in this
election. If either or both major parties act they will be supported, the
conservationists say.
"Australians who care about the environment will judge the Labor Party and
Coalition on three basic benchmarks - Will they tackle climate change and
slash greenhouse pollution? Will they restore the great Murray River to
health? Will they save Tasmania's old growth forests?" said Don Henry
executive director of the Australia Conservation Foundation (ACF).
The groups want the immediate protection from logging of 240,000 hectares
of Tasmania's high conservation value and old-growth forests on public
lands.
The ACF has urged both major parties to make the environment a central
plank of their election platforms, saying the majority of Australians will
support that plank.
"In recent polls two thirds of Australians have rated the environment as
'very important' in terms of how they would vote in a federal election,
but people are wanting to see what the major parties will do," said Henry.
"The policy, recently released by the Wilderness Society, Australian
Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace offers a win-win situation for forest
protection and job creation," said Wilderness Society spokesperson Vica
Bayley.
"The upcoming Federal election gives both major parties the opportunity to
step forward and adopt a positive solution for Tasmania," he said. "We
have offered a solution to halt the destruction of our unique forests and
the decline of benefits for the people of Tasmania."
But the primary logging company, Gunns, says its natural forests "are
sustainably managed, subject to environmental, economic and social
objectives."
All resource used by the Gunns is sourced from areas designated as
multiple use forests under the Tasmania Regional Forest Agreement, the
company says. "All forests harvested are regenerated, and harvesting and
regenerating native forests maintains biodiversity while generating
economic value."
But the senators from four parties say a federal inquiry is needed into
the destruction of Tasmanian forests.
Senator Brown said, "Evidence of Tasmania's forest mismanagement,
including large-scale clearing of native forests for plantations, impacts
on water, failure to enforce the Code of Forest Practices and the impacts
of chemical use convinced Senators that a federal inquiry was essential.
The Committee wants 'full cooperation' by federal and state governments or
else an inquiry with 'more compelling and drastic powers."
"The Greens say the inquiry must have judicial power so that witnesses can
be compelled to give evidence."
In addition, the Greens are seeking abolition of the special tax
concessions which are driving plantation establishment and a wood glut.
They want action to ensure that private sector investment in hardwood
plantations is not commercially undermined by state government subsidies
on chiplogs from native forests.
And they want Commonwealth action to bring Tasmania into line with other
jurisdictions by prohibiting broad-scale clearing of native vegetation for
plantation establishment.
"This inquiry outcome vindicates the courage of former Tasmanian forest
auditor, Mr. Bill Manning, who gave damning evidence of malpractice in
Tasmania's forest management," said Senator Brown.
Networked by Forests.org, Inc., gbarry@forests.org
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