Tasmania: The Last Stand of Industrial Forestry?
BY : Dr. GEOFF COUSER
Mr Lennon spoke at the 2003 Tasmanian ALP state conference about
the amount of old-growth forest in Tasmania in relation to our
land mass. Instead of regarding this as something unique and precious
that sets us apart from the rest of the country he sees it as
a license to continue with business as usual. Indeed, it does
set us apart from the rest of the country, most other jurisdictions
have significantly modified or rejected the much-touted Regional
Forest Agreements (RFAs) and are moving out of old-growth logging.
The following is a review of logging around the country - important
to note that all of these changes have occurred under state LABOR
governments. Whilst the situation around the country is still
not perfect, this provides an example of how the Tasmanian ALP
is becoming increasingly isolated amongst their state Labor colleagues.
Queensland : The Sunshine State never even
signed an RFA, instead the players came up with their own negotiated
settlement which pretty well pleased everyone. The Queensland
economy doesn't seem to be suffering too much as a result; in
fact, it's booming. The timber town of Ravenshoe, which was the
scene of angry confrontations between Senator Graham Richardson
and timber workers in the 1980's, is part of the unique far north
QLD wet tropics area to which people are flocking (even more than
Tasmania).
More info at http://www.env.qld.gov.au/environment/park/managing/
Western Australia : This state under Premier
Geoff Gallop significantly modified its RFA in February 2001.
In fact, ending old-growth logging was part of an election policy
which swept Mr Gallop's ALP to power. The world has not ended
and in fact, the south-west of Western Australia is booming with
new investment. Indeed, it's worth reviewing parts of the "Protecting
our old-growth forests Policy", where it's interesting to
substitute the words "Western Australia" with "Tasmania"
(the full document is available at http://www.wa.alp.org.au/download.html?filename=camp2001/forest.pdf)
and you can see what's happening in the south-west of WA at http://www.swdc.wa.gov.au
Labor is committed to the full protection
of all our remaining old-growth and high conservation value
forests and will take a holistic approach to forest policy:
incorporating forest protection and management; new jobs
for timber workers; timber industry assistance; the plantation
industry; ecotourism; and the restructuring of the Department
of Conservation and Land Management.
Labor will: |
|
•
|
immediately end logging in nearly 99 per
cent of Western Australia's old-growth forests by placing
in reserves approximately 340,500 hectares of the 346,000
hectares of remaining old-growth forests; |
|
•
|
place an immediate moratorium on the remaining
one per cent and review forward logging plans and timber
contracts to determine whether the current contracts can
be honoured in line with the sustainable yield set by the
Regional Forest Agreement without logging this remaining
unreserved area of old-growth forests; |
|
•
|
create 30 new national parks, including
the 12 new national parks promised under the RFA, and 2
new conservation parks; |
|
•
|
create approximately 200,000 hectares of
new reserves, in addition to the 150,000 protected under
the RFA; |
|
•
|
reinstate the 17 proposed reserves (54,000
hectares) revoked by the Government during the RFA; |
|
•
|
reserve "icon old-growth forests"
including the Walpole Wilderness Area, Greater Kingston,
Greater Beedelup, Jane, Easter, Hilliger and Gardner; |
|
•
|
create 130 new, secure jobs in CALM and
the Forest Products Commission; |
|
•
|
assist displaced timber workers to make
the transition to an estimated 1,080 new, direct jobs that
will be created in 2001 in plantation management and the
Albany chip mill. |
Victoria : Premier Steve Bracks recognised
in February 2002 that the science behind the RFA‚s was flawed
and that, "we know that the current level of logging in
Victorian forests is unsustainable and that we are at risk of
losing one of our most valuable resources". (Victorian
Government Policy Statement on Forests: Our Forests Our Future
- Feb 2002).
Late last year Premier Bracks pledged to protect the Otway Ranges
in a new 150,000ha National Park by 2008; prohibit the burning
of native forest for charcoal and electricity generation; and
to negotiate an end to woodchipping the Wombat forests by the
end of the year. This was on top of pre-election commitments by
Mr Bracks including the protection of 120,000ha Box-ironbark forests
in new National Parks; the reduction of sawlog license volumes
by over 30%, in particular an end to logging in the Cobbobonee
forests in the state's far west; and investigating the protection
of old growth forests in Goolengook through the Victorian Environment
assessment Council (VEAC). However, there is much ongoing concern
about the effect of logging on Melbourne's water catchments.
More info at http://www.vic.alp.org.au/policy/forests&nationalparks.html
New South Wales : Premier Bob Carr
recently announced 65 000 hectares of new national parks. On the
2nd of July fifteen new conservation areas were formally established
as the National Parks Estate (Reservations) Bill 2003 passed unamended
in the NSW Upper House. He has also said that he will not burn
forests for energy production. Bear in mind he also said in 1995
that there would be no woodchips exported from NSW by the year
2000.
More info at http://members.nswalp.com/html/policy/Environment.pdf
(section 6)
Federal : The National Forest Policy in
1992 was the fore-runner of the RFA, and a letter I have from
the Prime Minister at that time states that there will be no woodchipping
of native forest by the year 2000 due to the increasing reliance
on plantations. Hmmmm, both Liberal and Labor parties have been
largely quiet on the issue of late, except for Wilson Tuckey who
occasionally suggests that logging in national parks would be
a good idea.
How else is Tassie isolated?
1080 - no other jurisdiction uses poison
to target native animals for commercial purposes. Paradoxically
in Western Australia 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate) is used to
control foxes so that the native animals (the ones we actively
seek to poison) can thrive. Bear in mind that Tasmania, being
an island, is a refuge for species which are extinct or endangered
elsewhere, such as scavengers like the Tasmanian Devil and some
species of Quoll. The Eastern Quoll became extinct on the mainland
in the 1960's and Tasmania is its last stronghold. The Spotted-tailed
Quoll has dramatically declined on the mainland and Tassie is
its last stronghold. The Eastern Barred Bandicoot is on the brink
of extinction on the mainland (if not extinct) and its last stronghold
is Tasmania. Is it just me or is there a pattern developing? And
why is it OK to use the Precautionary Principle when discussing
imported New Zealand apples or Canadian salmon but not protecting
our own endangered species?
Rainforest logging - Tasmania has Australia's
largest tract of temperate rainforest in the Tarkine region, which
is under threat from logging this year. Logging rainforest sounds
outrageous, but it's accepted as normal in Tasmania. Rainforest
only covers 0.5% of Australia's land mass, and is under threat
worldwide. And we log it under the auspices of "World's Best
Practice".
Corporate governance - Tasmania's self-regulation
of the forestry industry has led to claims of conflict of interest
and poor regulation. A friend of mine was driving down the southern
outlet the other day and was speeding, but he still hasn't turned
himself in to the police.
Public opinion - has been loudly calling
to the government to alter its current policies on old-growth
logging. This has been articulated in repeated opinion polls and
the Tasmania Together process. Any government would be wise to
listen to the people when over 3000 ordinary Tasmanians participate
in a march in a forest one-and-a-half hours from Hobart on a wet
and miserable day. Broadly speaking, the current state of industrial
forestry is incongruous with the current direction and image Tasmania
is taking.
Value-adding - Tasmania has an opportunity
to create a unique niche in wood products: one based on intelligence
and talent. Our boat builders, furniture makers and crafters are
world class, and their activities return value to local communities;
contrast this with the bulk export of raw materials (ie, woodchips)
that return a pittance to the people of Tasmania whilst everyone
else in the process makes record profits. This is unsustainable
and will leave us with a redundant industry in years to come with
nothing special to differentiate us from the rest of the world.
At present, Tasmania exports more woodchips than the rest of Australia
combined.
Burning native forests for energy - This
practice is still on the agenda as far as the Southwood project
is concerned (if it can ever get up), but the concept of burning
native forests for energy has been abandoned in other states such
as Victoria and NSW. Tasmania, the alleged leader of renewable
clean and green energy in Australia, again stands alone. And please
don't insult our intelligence by suggesting that it's only the
waste that gets burned, the figures clearly show otherwise.
Log trucks down Hobart's main street and Burnie's
woodchip mountains - No other state capital has the spectre
of its native forests being paraded down the main street in a
bizarre death-row type march, and the citizens of Burnie are often
covered in woodchip dust from the woodchip mountains in the centre
of town.
Nature-based tourism - Consider the following
patterns: Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef, Northern Territory
& Kakadu, South Australia and the Outback. Tasmania is the
only state which makes a big deal about its natural attractions
but has failed to adequately protect the resource, I'm sorry Mr
Bacon, but the tallest trees in Australia (The Styx) and the largest
tract of temperate rainforest in Australia (The
Tarkine) seem pretty special. It wasn't that long ago that
Californians were cutting down giant Redwoods, they stopped doing
it and they certainly haven't suffered as a result, and by the
way, people go to the Tahune Airwalk to see trees still standing.
In fact, the majority of people who visit come because of the
natural environment.
Overall, we're looking alone on many fronts
when it comes to our forestry practices, when will Mr Bacon show
some leadership and listen to the people instead of his corporate
mates? Let's be unique and special, it's what will carry us through
to prosperity in the years to come.
For more information : visit www.DoctorsForForests.com
- information as well as links to any number of forestry sites
(conservation groups, industry, government, and more).
|
