FROM CROSS
CUT SAWS TO COMPUTERS
It
started off with cross cut saws and bullocks, then to
chainsaws and bulldozers, now the future is in computerised
harvesting machines in plantations.
Three-way
solution
The logging union has recently been outraged about the
need to import skilled workers to fill the new jobs
in the plantation industry. They have also been outraged
about the loss of jobs in native forest logging. We
'greenies' have been outraged about the logging of forests
for the past 30 years. The solution is now staring everyone
in the face. Environmentalists saw it coming long ago
but the others are still just catching up.
1,000
jobs
There
are 300,000ha of plantations in western Victoria and
the Green Triangle. They will soon need up to 1,100
workers to start processing the trees. Hi-tech computerised
harvesters and the new machines being used. In late
August Howard offered to trial a new relocation plan
for workers to get up to $5,000 to move to where the
jobs are. It's all there just waiting to fall into place.
In the past, the industry and union has been too busy
arguing about access to native forests to see what was
looming ahead. It's now staring right at them.
The logging industry has always had a large transient
work force. There should be plenty who would jump at
this opportunity. For those who have established their
homes and lives in East Gippsland, they could either
move into the low volume high value end of the market
or take on work that the growing tourism industry will
be offering. Not in selling Devonshire teas but in building
and maintaining tourism infrastructure.
Enter
Mr Bracks
The
transfer of jobs to plantations is occurring. The dirty
dangerous work and insecure future of logging forests
should now be relegated to the history books. We just
need Mr Bracks to help this transition occur smoothly
and offer training for those who want it. We will then
have a conflict free wood products industry and our
native forests left standing.
Jill
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Orange-bellied
Parrot
Federal
Environment Minister, Ian Campbell, has promised $3.2
million to help save the OBP. The endangered parrot
gained attention when it was used as a tool to stop
the controversial windfarm in Liberal member, Russell
Braodbent's seat.
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OLDIES
FOR OLD GROWTH
A group of
senior citizens have joined the campaign to stop logging
in East Gippsland's old-growth forests.
So far they
have over 50 supporters and members and numbers are
growing. OFOG have adopted the slogan, Respect your
Elders - Protect Old-Growth Forests. Spokesman for the
group, Wolf Passauer, says it will lobby the Government
in the lead-up to the state election. Politicians think
that only the young are concerned about destruction
of our environment. This group should shatter that image
and let the government know that older voters are also
annoyed by Mr Bracks letting loggers and woodchippers
destroy our forest elders.
If you'd
like to get in touch with OFOG, call Wolf on 9751 1571
or 0412 398 496 or write to 5 Yurnga Ave, Olinda, 3788,
Jill
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WHERE
DOES CRAIG INGRAM STAND ON LOGGING FORESTS???
Our Gippsland
East Independent pollie, Craig Ingram, has the image
of a champion for our rivers. You'd think this concern
for the water would spill over to include our rivers'
catchments, but not so. His attitudes to logging forests
were spelled out very clearly in the Herald Sun and
on the ABC in early September.
Here's a summary of his comments'
The conservation
movement's attempts to save old growth would threaten
500 jobs in East Gippsland.
- Voters
in Cann River, Orbost and on into Bairnsdale want
these forests logged.
- Not
being able to log would devastate his community.
- He asked
the Lib/Labs to keep logging old growth forests
and protect the industry.
- There's
85% of old-growth already reserved.
- Banning
logging in old-growth forests would hit saw-millers
hard.
- He agreed
that we conservationists were very organised and
were spending as much time in Parliament House as
politicians.
The last
point he had right. The rest were simply regurgitated
mistruths and rhetoric from industry bosses. Five hundred
jobs? That was the estimated number of jobs 10 years
ago when there were about 20 mills operating. Now there
are six. Most old growth already reserved? - far from
it!
Craig Ingram
is using out of date information, ignoring a huge swathe
of his voters and trying to impress a small band of
blue singlets. This will be at the cost of losing a
much bigger band of past supporters.
Please call
his electoral office and leave him a message -
5152 3491, fax 5152 2023 or email him on
craig.ingram@parliament.vic.gov.au, or even write to
him:
PO Box 443 Bairnsdale 3875
Jill
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REFLEX
PAPER - 100% HOODWINK
The
latest porky to come from the makers of Reflex paper,
is that their product is now 100% forest sensitive,
in fact it's so eco-friendly it is bursting with endangered
species.
Australia's
biggest paper company, PaperlinX in the Latrobe Valley,
is congratulating itself for this bodgie eco-label given
by the normally reliable Forest Stewardship Council
certification scheme.
Bottom
rung tick-off
In fact it has only the lesser FSC 'Chain of Custody'
Certification for its Reflex paper. To get this tick
it needs to have 59% of its woodchips come from properly
FSC certified sources, like a well-managed plantation.
The other 41% can come from any government approved
forest (rainforest, threatened species habitat etc).
As long as it's not 'illegally taken'.
FSC duped?
So where does the supposed eco-friendly wood come from?
Considering that Paperlinx still takes 59% of its pulp
from the Central Highlands' water catchments, old growth
and Leadbeaters Possum habitat as well as importing
Tasmania's forests, this claim is very unconvincing.
Even the logs they buy from Hancocks' plantations in
South Gippsland are only under interim FSC certification.
Hancocks' interim certification has been reviewed because
they breached so many environmental principles. That
report is being firmly sat upon.
100% Australian
hoodwinkery
We are told this 'demonstrates the PaperlinX commitment
to environmental principles through the entire paper
chain'. More like a commitment to keep hoodwinking the
public with half truths. And we are reassured that all
this is 'Australian made'! That is - it comes from our
very own native forests supporting Aussie native wildlife
that are crushed under bulldozers driven by Aussie blokes,
daily. Something to be proud of!
EEG and our
regional sister group, The Central Highlands Alliance,
is currently asking some very tough questions of the
certifying body.
Jill
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QUOLLS
A recent
scientific survey of the impact of the 2003 fire in
the upper Snowy River on Tiger Quolls calculates a reduction
in the quoll population of between 67.5-90%. The impact
of this loss on the state population (without taking
into account the impact of the 2003 fires from the north-east
through the Alps and Gippsland) would be between 33-45%
reduction.
Given the
ongoing decline in range and abundance of quolls in
Victoria a sudden decline of this magnitude should be
sounding the sirens.
Dasyurus
maculatus, the Tiger (or Spot-Tailed) Quoll had been
Studied and monitored in the Suggan Buggan valley since
1990. In February 2003, the alpine wildfires burnt through
the Suggan Buggan Valley and Rocky Range.
Quolls love
rocky outcrops and have certain areas where they leave
their droppings. These are called latrine sites. These
were surveyed in the study area to record the animals'
presence.
Searches
were undertaken in April 2003, February-March and October
2004 and October 2005 over many known sites. Presence/absence
was then compared to fire intensity. Evidence of quolls
surviving was found at five sites that were either unburnt
or patchily burnt at low intensity. Sites where quolls
were not recorded included the north-facing escarpment
along the Suggan Buggan Valley an area that burnt very
hot.
The Upper
Snowy River has had a consistent record of quolls for
the past 25 years. Approximately 90% of the white box/cypress
pine on both sides of the Snowy River burnt intensely.
The only areas either unburnt or burnt patchily were
sections of the Suggan Buggan valley, Gattamurah Creek,
the Snowy River valley and Little River Gorge.
Quolls did
survive in areas that didn't burn so intensely. The
fact that quolls, and their prey were still absent from
the escarpment more than two and a half years after
the fire suggests they did not survive the fire. Given
their nationally endangered status and slowness to recolonise
this is a serious dive in the state's population of
this amazing pouched meat-eater.
Jill
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Water
bandits
'If the
logging industry was an irrigator they would be charged
millions for using this water'
Melbourne's
catchments are empty, so we're looking at the skies
searching for rain. Right idea, but wrong direction.
Look at the Thomson dam, and ask why we still allow
clearfell logging in its catchment, then look at Steve
Bracks and ask him.
Logging our
forested reserves creates muddy run-off, incredibly
thirsty new tree crops, and cheap woodchips for paper
pulp. Natural mature forest sits there quietly filtering
rainwater, while it produces wildlife habitat, clean
air and breathtaking beauty.
We have a
choice between water restrictions for us, or logging
restrictions for the makers of Reflex paper.
PaperlinX
takes most of the trees from Melbourne's water catchments
to make Reflex copy paper. Political influences (and
donations) form PaperlinX has caused successive governments
to turn a blind eye to catchment destruction and loss
of water.
Clearfelling
creates vast areas of fast growing young trees. Young
trees soak up much more water than a mature forest.
For over 50 years the water yield from these areas is
reduced by half. Then the trees are planned to be cut
down again. This sentences our water catchments to permanent
drought.
Liz /
Jill / Sarah
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Dam
good decision
The Victorian
Farmers Federation (VFF) and the National Party has
criticised the Bracks Government for plans to ban new
dams on 18 Victorian rivers. Under the plan, the Snowy,
Mitchell, Genoa, Aberfeldy, Thomson, Bemm and Upper
Buchan rivers could not be dammed. The VFF said it was
wasting water that would just go out to sea. They see
our rivers as just bothersome big drainage ditches.
Interesting
to note that the Nats in Queensland are opposed to the
two controversial dams the Beattie Government is planning
to build. Why? It doesn't benefit farmers, only Brisbane.
Yet in Victoria, the Nats are all for dams, because
farmers want them.
East
Gippy drinking water gets filthier
Contracts
have been let and construction set to begin on water
treatment plants that will give five small towns in
East Gippsland clean water. The Authority is investing
$7.7 M in water quality improvements for Bemm River,
Buchan, Cann River, Swifts Creek and Nowa Nowa.
The common
theme with all these towns is that they have serious
logging activity in their water catchments. Yet another
cost to us compliments of the logging industry.
Jill /
Pipeline - East Gippsland Water June '06
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Forest
flambé plans thwarted
Despite plans
to burn 130,000ha of bush last season DSE only managed
a massive 49,000ha. The year before 127,000ha was scorched
and before that 95,000ha of healthy undergrowth ecology
was turned to ash. Gippsland had a planned 54,000ha
to be flambéd but only managed to dry out and modify
10,000ha.
Jill /
Weekly Times 14.6.06
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Mill
fire deliberate
The fire
that burnt down the Orbost sawmill three weeks after
it went broke in May, remains unsolved. The fire did
about $200,000 damage to the company's offices where
the books were being reviewed by the receivers. Forensic
investigators concluded the fire was deliberately lit.
25.7.06
ABC news
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Federal
threatened species Act ineffective
The Federal
Environment Protection Biodiversity and Conservation
Act is a waste of money, according to researchers at
the Australia Institute. The Act is designed to protect
threatened species and world heritage areas that may
not be covered by state environment laws. The Institute's
deputy director, Andrew Macintosh, says only four out
of 1,900 developments have been blocked in six years
of operation. So $15 - $30 million a year is spent on
a law that isn't improving anything.
The Howard
Government is doing virtually nothing to improve non-compliance
with the law. In the vast majority of cases, the Minister
is green-lighting developments and other impacts with
very few appropriate conditions placed on them.
In the case
of uranium mining and nuclear waste, the Government
has simply overridden the environment act.
ABC radio
via Wildlife Bytes 31.7.06
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YET
MORE CASES OF ILLEGAL LOGGING
TIME FOR BRACKS TO CLEARFELL DSE
We have
to wonder if we are in Indonesia or Australia sometimes.
The latest incidents of government foresters approving
illegal logging is in the Red Gum Forests at Barmah
on the Murray River and in the Central Highlands.
Thompson
catchment
World Water Week began on 20th of August - the same
day that conservationists from the Central Highlands
made the shocking discovery of illegal logging in Melbourne's
most important water supply catchment. DSE forest managers
marked and approved this operation - as in most other
illegal logging operations that have been discovered
over the years. Prosecutions and/or sackings must follow.
Forester collusion or incompetence can no longer be
tolerated and excused. The other option is to stop logging
catchments.
There are
minimal government standards to protect water quality
but even these have been violated. The law states there
is to be no logging from the 1st May until the 30th
Nov each year to avoid run-off during winter that will
send mud and silt into Melbourne's drinking water supplies
(country town water supplies don't get such consideration).
Logging
is forbidden during the wettest months to reduce the
risk of dirty water and contamination. Sediment caused
by logging reduces the effectiveness of chlorination,
allowing waterborne diseases such as Giardia to thrive.
Sarah Rees from The Central Highland's Alliance also
found that logging coupe plans have never had this area
mapped meaning the logging was approved but was in every
way illegal.
Barmah
Forests
Friends of the Earth sleuths uncovered an area where
a contractor was instructed to illegally log four hectares
outside an approved coupe boundary.
Less than
2% of Barmah's logging operations have been audited
but already eight potential breaches have been reported.
Breaches include illegal logging of six old growth Red
Gums, crucial habitat for species like the threatened
Squirrel Glider, Brush-tailed Phascogale and Superb
Parrot. Not long ago a private land owner was told to
pay a $10,000 bond and replant 1,000 trees for cutting
down 28 old red gums on his property without permission
(if not he could be liable of a fine up to $100,000).
Jill
/ TCHA / FOE
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IF
YOU GO DOWN TO BUY WOOD TODAY YOU'RE IN FOR A BIG SUPRISE
Timber
yards just don't bother stocking hardwood timber any
more. Why?
It is because
no one wants to buy hardwood timber. There are no uses
for native forest hardwoods which pine and other plantation
products cannot replace, and at a lower price.
Many sawmills
that cut native forest logs are teetering on the brink
of receivership. The industry is collapsing quickly.
Here are some examples:
- The
largest sawmill in East Gippsland went into receivership
in early June.
- Up to
half of all the remaining mills are near receivership.
- The
old stalwart of the industry, Micah's sawmill in
Erica, is up for sale.
- Neville
Smith Timber Industries at Heyfield is the largest
hardwood sawmill in Australia, yet only made $67,000
profit last year.
- Terra
Timbers at Bairnsdale was predicted to be the saviour
of the east with millions of dollars investment
in kiln driers for producing value added export
timbers. It is also finding it difficult to sell
its intended volumes.
- Recent
auctioning of timber at Fowles in Port Melbourne
saw lots of hardwood timber left unsold, and those
which did sell, went for 10% of their value.
- Pine
now makes up more than 80% of the market for building
timbers. This dominance has been growing for the
past 20 years. There are few applications where
pine is not the preferred product.
- The
advent of the five star energy rating system favours
concrete slabs over stumps and bearers, rough sawn
hardwood's last toehold in house framing.
- In buildings
where sub-floor construction is still used, engineered
and treated pine products are preferred. Laminate
flooring and floating floors (made from pine) are
a cheaper and better wearing than hardwood tongue
and groove.
- The
Victorian Timber Promotion Council has folded. Hardwood
timber marketing promotion campaigns (like 'eco
select') have all but disappeared.
Pine has
taken over as a building timber. Feature grade kiln
dried products like tongue and groove flooring is the
last hope for the state's hardwood sawmills. But it
costs about the same as comparable hardwood flooring
imported from Europe. Victorian sawn hardwood is now
a specialty product precariously holding on to a niche
that is shrinking by the day. There is no light at the
end of the tunnel and it can only get worse.
Marcus
Ward, architect / Jill
