VicForests faces the chop
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by Mara Pattison-SowdenShare
16 Nov 2010
Showing posts with label forests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forests. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
ALP still paralyzed over forests
The Greens Gippsland East Candidate, Jill Redwood has said today’s forest policy announcement by the ALP is business as usual dressed in drag.
“It’s nothing to be overjoyed about. Announcing a meeting process, that won’t meet until after the election is very underwhelming. We’d much prefer to hear a firm date as to when the inevitable transition into plantations will occur”, said Jill Redwood. “A firm industry plan with exit packages is what is needed. The Greens and the majority of the public have been opposed to the destruction of public forests through industrial scale logging for decades.”
“There’s nothing new in this announcement at all. We don’t need another committee; we don’t need another VicForests look‐alike commercial logging monopoly; we don’t need a government entity that is constantly in conflict with itself – profit vs environment.”
“What we urgently need is a different culture within the government and its forester dominated environment department. It took four years to see the Labor government’s 2006 promises acted upon and even that was 70% spin.
“The Greens are pleased to see the government commit to carrying out threatened species surveys before they plan to clearfell native forests, but this was forced on them by the recent Supreme Court case. It remains to be seen if this will happen in all forests and across all seasons. Proper and credible assessments would require this”, said Ms Redwood.
Samantha Dunn, Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria said it’s virtually business as usual."We will still see our forests logged while these talks go on, loosing precious carbon stores and biodiversity, this announcement today fails to meet expectations that logging of our high conservation forests will cease.”
“The Greens in parliament will keep working until old growth forests, high conservation value forests and town water catchments are given protection, and then work to shift the dwindling native forest logging industry into the security of the plantation sector.
For comment: Jill Redwood 5154 1045 / Samantha Dunn 0429 292 904 or samantha.dunn@vic.greens.org.au
“It’s nothing to be overjoyed about. Announcing a meeting process, that won’t meet until after the election is very underwhelming. We’d much prefer to hear a firm date as to when the inevitable transition into plantations will occur”, said Jill Redwood. “A firm industry plan with exit packages is what is needed. The Greens and the majority of the public have been opposed to the destruction of public forests through industrial scale logging for decades.”
“There’s nothing new in this announcement at all. We don’t need another committee; we don’t need another VicForests look‐alike commercial logging monopoly; we don’t need a government entity that is constantly in conflict with itself – profit vs environment.”
“What we urgently need is a different culture within the government and its forester dominated environment department. It took four years to see the Labor government’s 2006 promises acted upon and even that was 70% spin.
“The Greens are pleased to see the government commit to carrying out threatened species surveys before they plan to clearfell native forests, but this was forced on them by the recent Supreme Court case. It remains to be seen if this will happen in all forests and across all seasons. Proper and credible assessments would require this”, said Ms Redwood.
Samantha Dunn, Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria said it’s virtually business as usual."We will still see our forests logged while these talks go on, loosing precious carbon stores and biodiversity, this announcement today fails to meet expectations that logging of our high conservation forests will cease.”
“The Greens in parliament will keep working until old growth forests, high conservation value forests and town water catchments are given protection, and then work to shift the dwindling native forest logging industry into the security of the plantation sector.
For comment: Jill Redwood 5154 1045 / Samantha Dunn 0429 292 904 or samantha.dunn@vic.greens.org.au
Wood or Water Wellington Shire? Greens
The Wellington Shire’s recent majority decision to support the continued logging of Melbourne’s water catchment in the Central Highlands shows a lack of understanding of the connection between logging and water.
Jill Redwood, long time forest campaigner and now Greens candidate for the seat of Gippsland East said she was astounded at the lack of thought by councillors on such an important issue.
“If the logging continues, it will dry out entire catchments of up to 50% of their normal stream flow for at least the next 80 years. This phenomena is acknowledged by Melbourne Water and many scientists. It will make the water shortage even more critical for not only Melbourne but many Gippsland towns as well. Our local town’s water supplies come from the very forests which Wellington councillors want to see clearfelled.
“Would Wellington Shire oppose moves by Melbourne to take water from Gippsland’s storages and rivers?
“Those Councilors seemed to believed that the Gunns‐owned Heyfield Mill was only dependant on more and more access to public forests for its future survival”, said JR. “In fact Gunns has already declared it will be closing down its native forest logging operations on the mainland in the near future.
“The sawn timber market is also on a steep downhill run with over 80% of all building materials now being supplied by plantation wood. This trend is continuing despite large public financial assistance that native forest logging still enjoys. So any amount of council support will be confetti in the wind. “The Greens would be looking to help transition the industry into a conflict‐free plantations future as soon as possible. Those in the industry should be allowed to exit with dignity, be retrained or assisted to move their skills to the substantial plantations in western Victoria. Those companies are screaming out for workers and are in fact importing workers from overseas to fill the jobs.”
Further information: Samantha Dunn 0429 29 29 04 or samantha.dunn@vic.greens.org.au
Jill Redwood, long time forest campaigner and now Greens candidate for the seat of Gippsland East said she was astounded at the lack of thought by councillors on such an important issue.
“If the logging continues, it will dry out entire catchments of up to 50% of their normal stream flow for at least the next 80 years. This phenomena is acknowledged by Melbourne Water and many scientists. It will make the water shortage even more critical for not only Melbourne but many Gippsland towns as well. Our local town’s water supplies come from the very forests which Wellington councillors want to see clearfelled.
“Would Wellington Shire oppose moves by Melbourne to take water from Gippsland’s storages and rivers?
“Those Councilors seemed to believed that the Gunns‐owned Heyfield Mill was only dependant on more and more access to public forests for its future survival”, said JR. “In fact Gunns has already declared it will be closing down its native forest logging operations on the mainland in the near future.
“The sawn timber market is also on a steep downhill run with over 80% of all building materials now being supplied by plantation wood. This trend is continuing despite large public financial assistance that native forest logging still enjoys. So any amount of council support will be confetti in the wind. “The Greens would be looking to help transition the industry into a conflict‐free plantations future as soon as possible. Those in the industry should be allowed to exit with dignity, be retrained or assisted to move their skills to the substantial plantations in western Victoria. Those companies are screaming out for workers and are in fact importing workers from overseas to fill the jobs.”
Further information: Samantha Dunn 0429 29 29 04 or samantha.dunn@vic.greens.org.au
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Greens call for forest transition to plantations
The Victorian Greens today called for Labor and Liberal to join the Australian Greens in backing a new dialogue between the State's logging industry and conservation groups on how to complete the transition out of native forests and into plantations.
"Some of the key players involved in the historic Tasmanian logging agreement are also involved in the Victorian native forest logging industry—and they are ready to enter into a similar process," said Damian Magner, Greens candidate for Eastern Metropolitan.
“If we could give clear tripartisan support for the talks, it could be a matter of weeks or months before we can see the industry on a new path that completes the transition out of native forest logging and into jobs rich plantations.
“The Greens are committed to assisting affected workers with a targeted package of vocational training, relocation subsidies and generous redundancy payments to affected workers.”
“We must stop wood-chipping our native forests and start protecting them for the immense value they provide for climate, biodiversity and water,” said Samantha Dunn, Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria. "Our native forests should be protected and managed for these purposes, not squandered for woodchips."
“The people of Victoria don’t want to see our unique forests destroyed in this way, over 80% of Victorians are against wood-chipping. They want our beautiful forests conserved so that current and future generations can enjoy and value them.
“Every Green vote at the coming state election is a step closer to a win-win breakthrough on the logging issue, as the result in Tasmania clearly demonstrated."
“The transition in Western Victoria has been a resounding success," said Marcus Ward, Greens candidate for Western Victoria.
"In the Otways and the southwest, plantation logging is booming, employment is growing and the old conflicts are in the past. Plantation workers are being sourced from overseas. Across the state, the wood products industry continues to innovate and thrive with 85% of wood for building and processing now coming from plantations.
“Ending native forest logging east of the Hume will greatly reduce Victoria's carbon footprint, equivalent to removing 2.4 million cars from the state's roads as well as releasing an extra 60 gigalitres per annum of water into our domestic water supply. That's more than enough to supply the cities of Ballarat and Bendigo,” said Mr Ward.
“An historic window of opportunity has opened thanks to our Tasmanian neighbours. It's time to put the conflict of the past behind us and help Victoria's loggers secure a competitive, profitable future in plantation logging.”
Further information:
Samantha Dunn 0429 29 29 04 or samantha.dunn@vic.greens.org.au
Damian Magner 0402 687 472 or damian.magner@vic.greens.org.au
Marcus Ward 0427 235 254 or marcus.ward@vic.greens.org.au
"Some of the key players involved in the historic Tasmanian logging agreement are also involved in the Victorian native forest logging industry—and they are ready to enter into a similar process," said Damian Magner, Greens candidate for Eastern Metropolitan.
“If we could give clear tripartisan support for the talks, it could be a matter of weeks or months before we can see the industry on a new path that completes the transition out of native forest logging and into jobs rich plantations.
“The Greens are committed to assisting affected workers with a targeted package of vocational training, relocation subsidies and generous redundancy payments to affected workers.”
“We must stop wood-chipping our native forests and start protecting them for the immense value they provide for climate, biodiversity and water,” said Samantha Dunn, Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria. "Our native forests should be protected and managed for these purposes, not squandered for woodchips."
“The people of Victoria don’t want to see our unique forests destroyed in this way, over 80% of Victorians are against wood-chipping. They want our beautiful forests conserved so that current and future generations can enjoy and value them.
“Every Green vote at the coming state election is a step closer to a win-win breakthrough on the logging issue, as the result in Tasmania clearly demonstrated."
“The transition in Western Victoria has been a resounding success," said Marcus Ward, Greens candidate for Western Victoria.
"In the Otways and the southwest, plantation logging is booming, employment is growing and the old conflicts are in the past. Plantation workers are being sourced from overseas. Across the state, the wood products industry continues to innovate and thrive with 85% of wood for building and processing now coming from plantations.
“Ending native forest logging east of the Hume will greatly reduce Victoria's carbon footprint, equivalent to removing 2.4 million cars from the state's roads as well as releasing an extra 60 gigalitres per annum of water into our domestic water supply. That's more than enough to supply the cities of Ballarat and Bendigo,” said Mr Ward.
“An historic window of opportunity has opened thanks to our Tasmanian neighbours. It's time to put the conflict of the past behind us and help Victoria's loggers secure a competitive, profitable future in plantation logging.”
Further information:
Samantha Dunn 0429 29 29 04 or samantha.dunn@vic.greens.org.au
Damian Magner 0402 687 472 or damian.magner@vic.greens.org.au
Marcus Ward 0427 235 254 or marcus.ward@vic.greens.org.au
Friday, June 25, 2010
time for permanent fix for forests crisis
Public, industry, politics agree:
Time for permanent fix for forests crisis
Senator Bob Brown
With the collapse of overseas woodchip markets and the growth of plantation forests, results of a new national poll show unprecedented support for ending logging in Australian native forests.
Launching a new television advertisement calling for an end to native forest logging, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said there had never been a more opportune time for the Commonwealth Government to step in and end conflict over forests forever.
The results of a national Galaxy research poll of 1,100 people show:
* 90% of Australians are in favour of protecting remaining high conservation value forests in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales in national parks.
* 77% agree that the Rudd Government should stop the logging of native forests, which contain large amounts of carbon that would be protected by ending forest clearance
* 72% are in favour of the Federal Government assisting logging contractors to take redundancies, retrain or move permanently to a plantation based industry
"The logging industry is now asking for help to assist workers and companies to shift from unsustainable native forest logging to plantation based forestry," said Senator Brown.
"The Commonwealth Government should step in.
"Having turned its back on putting a price on greenhouse pollution this is the easiest, simplest way for the Rudd Government to be able to say it has reduced Australia's greenhouse emissions.
"There is overwhelming public support for the creation of new national parks to protect our precious remaining forests.
"There is no future in native forest logging. Plantation timber is the preference of the global market, and now dinosaur companies like Gunns are in trouble, it is time to end Australian native forest logging forever."
A meeting of representatives from Australian environment groups convened by Senator Brown last week endorsed the idea that native forest logging should end and that Australia should utilise its existing plantation base for forest products.
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