ForestNetwork_News Updates

The Bracks Government has announced that it will protect about 40,000 hectares of Victoria's old growth forest if re-elected. So far the Liberal Party have not offered any extra forests up for protection in this election campaign. The environmental policies of the ALP mark them as the better option of the two main parties with regard to environmental issues.

The ALP are certainly doing the right thing by getting the timber industry to move into regrowth forest. With the right balance of management policies there is no reason why the timber industry can't move to ecologically sustainable forestry in regrowth forests.

While the new additions to the reserve system are welcome they do not go far enough. All of Victoria's old growth and high conservation value forests should be protected immediately. These forests are crucial biological/genetic reserves and scientific reference areas and, as such, are a globally significant biological heritage. The only reason they are being logged at all is to prop up the unsustainable woodchip industry. This industry sector has been exerting undue political influence and undermining democratic process for far too long.

With a strong economy, but escalating and multiplying environmental crises, this is an ideal time to move the industry into regrowth forest. If, as it is claimed, the timber industry is sawlog and not woodchip driven then it should have no problem getting it's resource from regrowth forest. Statistics expose the myth of the sawlog driven industry - woodchip volumes have been rising dramatically for 40 years while sawlog production in native forest and job numbers have steadily decreased.

It is a great shame for our country, and indeed the entire planet, that the state government has been bullied and intimidated by the woodchip industry and its allies in NAFI and the CFMEU into not protecting all old growth forest.

STEVE Bracks is heading for a Mark Latham-style showdown with timber workers over banning logging in old-growth forests in the state's far east. The timber industry is convinced Labor is poised to protect East Gippsland's stands of old-growth trees, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

In response, timber workers are preparing to unleash "jihad" on the Bracks Government to try to crush his electoral chances as they did to Mr Latham's federal campaign in 2004.

Local independent MP Craig Ingram - who helped Mr Bracks form government in 1999 - threatened yesterday to withdraw his support for Labor if the Government banned logging in Gippsland's old-growth forests. "It could be the leg-up (Liberal leader) Ted Baillieu needs if they get it wrong," he told The Australian yesterday.

Mr Ingram said workers and the industry would stage rowdy demonstrations and actively campaign against Labor in key marginal seats if they were dudded on the logging issue. "There's going to be a jihad if there's a decision that impacts on investment in the industry or jobs," he said. "If that happens, it will be war. It will be Latham Mark II. They (the workers) went to war against Labor last time, and it cost them dearly. "Either side of politics could end up looking a bit like Mark Latham, or either side could look like John Howard."

Forestry workers in Tasmania derailed the final week of former federal opposition leader Mr Latham's bid to topple Mr Howard in 2004, after Mr Latham sided with Greens leader Bob Brown on protecting old-growth forests in the Styx Valley. In their fury at Mr Latham, the workers - members of the Labor-affiliated forestry union - threw their support behind the Prime Minister in a devastating blow to the ALP's campaign.

Victorian Association of Forestry Industries chief executive Tricia Caswell said the industry was "very pessimistic" about the state Government's policy, and expected it to include tight restrictions on old-growth logging. "We have heard very substantial rumours," she said. "It will have a long-term effect on the viability of the industry in East Gippsland. There will be significant numbers of jobs lost and the real effect will be a flow-on effect on these communities."

Old-growth forests support 40per cent of the timber industry in East Gippsland, but Ms Caswell said 70 per cent of those regions are protected. She said logging bankrolled one-third of the Gippsland economy, and a ban would cripple the towns of Orbost, Cann River, Newmerella, Buchan and Marlo and Mallacoota.

Ms Caswell, a former Australian Conservation Foundation chief, said banning logging was "small beer" compared with tackling global warming, water shortages and energy use. "It's an easy way to look green when its really small beer in terms of the environment."

A spokesman for Environment Minister John Thwaites said the Government's policy would balance conserving natural resources and supporting a sustainable logging industry. One Labor source said the party would not do anything that sparked a revolt from timber workers. "We're not going to have a repeat of what happened down in Tasmania," he said.

Greens upper house candidate Greg Barber denied any deal had been struck with the ALP to lock up East Gippsland forests in exchange for preferences. "No, I don't. I wish I had," Mr Barber said. "It's not even a question of discussions. There was no deal. "There is very little old-growth left in Victoria. It will be logged out in a few more years or it will be protected. "Forest destruction continued under (premiers) John Cain, Joan Kirner, Jeff Kennett and Steve Bracks, but protecting all of the water catchments and high conservation value forests is a much bigger ask than just old growth."

THE Federal Government has decided against imposing a blanket ban on products made from illegally logged timber, instead developing voluntary measures for the industry.

A blanket ban would also prevent some legal timber entering Australia, Forestry Minister Eric Abetz said as he released a discussion paper on illegal logging. Among other proposed measures is an awareness campaign about illegal logging, developing purchasing guidelines and increased collaboration with other countries to improve forest management.

The industry welcomed the proposals but critics slammed the proposed measures as belated and an attempt to hoodwink the public that the plan would address climate change.

Senator Abetz said illegal logging damaged forest ecosystems and cheated developing world governments out of export revenue. "It promotes corruption, bankrolls regional conflict and discourages legal and sustainable forest practices," he said. "Illegal logging also reduces opportunities for forest industries in countries which have worked hard to ensure their operations are environmentally sustainable, such as here in Australia."

His proposals included working with industry to develop voluntary measures that helped gauge the legality of imported forest products, and to develop voluntary certification and product chain-of-custody schemes for Australian forest products. "The plan does not impose a blanket ban on illegal products, which is not only impractical due to a chain of custody issues but which as a result would also prevent legal timber coming into Australia," Senator Abetz said. "Significantly, no other country has implemented such a ban."

Opposition forestry spokesman Martin Ferguson said the measures were a step in the right direction but had been two years coming. "Urgent action is now critical, none more so than a formal review into forestry certification and product chain-of-custody schemes to ensure that they will deliver sustainability," he said in a statement. "Continuous Greens campaigns questioning the sustainability of the Australian forest industries are costing the jobs of Australian workers, sending value adding opportunities overseas, and threatening to worsen our $2 billion trade deficit in the sector. "At the same time, they are fuelling global demand for illegal timber imports including here in Australia where up to 10 per cent of timber imports are of questionable origin."

Greens leader Bob Brown said the Government should ban the import of tropical rainforest timbers outright. National Association of Forest Industries chief executive Catherine Murphy welcomed the proposals and said a ban on suspect imports would only push the problem elsewhere. Greenpeace and the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) said the paper was an attempt to hoodwink the public it was addressing climate change.

October 13 - MORE than 8000 hectares of the Strzelecki Ranges in Gippsland will be permanently protected from logging, but 1500 hectares will still be harvested under a deal unveiled today. Report 1 - Report 2

Conservation Minister defends logging in water catchments - Victorian Water Minister John Thwaites today dismissed calls to halt logging in forest catchments, despite concerns tree loss will dry up desperately needed water supplies. Article - The Age

It was a signature TV news image of the 1990s: the bush as battleground, greenies blocking bulldozers, shouting slogans and trading insults with angry timber workers.

Saving trees and animals won votes and environment groups enjoyed access to real power and policy clout. But green influence grew too big for one forestry giant which saw its wood supplies threatened, and for its employees who saw their jobs threatened. So the company and the workers’ union formed an alliance. Behind the scenes, far from the televised stunts and confrontations in the bush, they hatched a plan… Key workers would infiltrate key green groups and obtain information to divide and discredit them… and take over Labor Party branches to win control of a key policy-making arm.

For the first time, Four Corners details this covert campaign - masterminded by a former politician - which notched up some notable victories spanning a decade. "They owned the forestry policy of the party," admits a Labor Left opponent.

Bogus greenies were told to attend activists’ meetings and report back; they were coached in how they should dress and blend in and how to sabotage data in environmentalists’ computers, according to information given to Four Corners. Crucial details about anti-logging campaign plans were relayed to the company’s headquarters and were pre-empted in Parliament.

In the Labor policy group, members in the minority say they were "yelled out of the room" by the majority – the company’s employees - whenever they raised forest issues. The agenda and minutes, they recall, were produced at the company office.

These events occurred in the 1990s, the crucial decade when Australia wrestled with far-reaching decisions – like regional forest agreements – that govern how native forests are managed today.

Conservationists now decry "dirty tricks", but organisers insist they were simply playing green activists at their own game: smart, tough politics. "Come on, you live by the sword, you die by the sword," says the ex-politician.

This unorthodox campaigner candidly admits to Four Corners how he not only juggled operations against "enemy" greens at home, but also made forays overseas to buy information that might harm the company’s rivals.

Sally Neighbour tells the exclusive inside story of "The A Team" - on Four Corners, 8.30 pm Monday 2 October 2006, ABC TV.

It's time for Mr Bracks to show leadership - THE news that pulp and paper giant Amcor funded a dirty tricks campaign against environment groups in the '90s ("Amcor steps back from green-spy accusations", The Age, 3/10) raises big questions about what role the logging industry and forestry union bosses are still playing in formulating native forest policy in Victoria. Article - The Age

Revealed: spying on Greens - MULTINATIONAL packaging company Amcor stacked the Labor Party, infiltrated environment groups, sent people pretending to be greenies to forest protests and paid bribes overseas to secure its supply of native hardwood in the 1990s. Article - The Age

MULTINATIONAL packaging company Amcor has refused to admit any involvement in corporate spying on green groups in the 1990s, saying the so-called "A team" was set up under previous management. Article - The Age

Union ruffled by Amcor 'A-team' - THE close relationship between packaging company Amcor and the timber workers' union that formed the notorious "A-team" fell apart over three years because of increasingly acrimonious disputes about policy and power.

Documents show tensions first arose in 1996 over the use of imported Indonesian wood pulp at the Maryvale paper mill, and ended in about 1999 with the union refusing to co-operate with the A-team. Article - The Age

Terror-razing the forest - Report of preliminary investigation into the security issues on the West Papua/ PNG border. (Adobe PDF - 5.5 mb) (23-1-06)

Senator Bob Brown has personally launched a daring bid to see if the law can be used to protect endangered species. “Bob Brown vs Forestry Tasmania” is a landmark case that has the potential to revolutionise the protection of our forests and fauna. Bob is personally paying legal and scientific expenses, which are expected to top $250,000. To fund spiralling costs Bob is auctioning his personal memorabilia and art collection. Please go to www.on-trial.info or www.bobbrown.org.au to find out more. Support, donations and auction bids are all urgently needed.

Please pass this information onto your networks, and help Bob protect Australia’s biodiversity. If you wish to lodge a bid for an item, please ring Amanda Sully on 0406 992112

Macquarie Alternative Assets Management Announces Long Term Agreement with Australian Paper 25 August 2005 - Macquarie Alternative Assets Management Limited ("MAAML"), a responsible entity under the Macquarie Forestry Investment, announced today that it had signed a long term Pulpwood Agreement with Australian Paper, a subsidiary of PaperlinX Ltd. Under this agreement, MAAML will endeavour to source investment funds on an annual basis to establish plantations in the Gippsland region of Victoria. If the arrangements continue for their maximum potential term, MAAML will supply timber for up to 20 years to Australian Paper's upgraded Maryvale Mill. MAAML estimates that investments of up to $300 million are required for this purpose over the next 20 years.

As of today, MAAML manages approximately 10,000 ha of plantation on behalf of retail investors who have participated in the Macquarie Forestry Investments, since the annual offerings commenced in 2003. "MAAML currently has a pre-purchase agreement with Midway Pty Ltd, a leading Australian forestry company with well established export markets. While not available for the current offer, MAAML believes that the contract with Australian Paper offers the opportunity to enhance the product that it offers to investors in the future by providing them with an offtake arrangement for both domestic and export markets," said Anthony Abraham, a director of MAAML.

Call for a moratorium on logging Barmah State Forest in demonstration at Premier’s office

Justice Harper of the Supreme Court today overturned guilty verdicts against conservationist Tony Hastings and former timber worker Greg Tantram, who were charged in 2001 with obstructing a lawful logging operation at Dingo Creek in East Gippsland.

The obstruction took place after it was discovered that rainforest and Powerful Owl habitat were being logged by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) contrary to the Code of Forest Practice for Timber Production.

Trevor Poulton, Solicitor representing Mr Gregory Tantram said, "Justice Harper has made a landmark ruling that a breach of the Code of Forest Practice for Timber Production is a breach of the law. The ruling is a precedent that now establishes that the Code has legal status for the conduct of forest operations in Victoria. The intervention by members of the public was appropriate and their action has been vindicated by the Court."

Mr Tony Hastings representing himself said, "The forest operation was unlawful, as it included the destruction of rainforest and threatened species habitat. The Forester in Charge refused to inspect the logging operation to make it lawful, so it was our public duty to act to protect the Rainforest Site of National Significance and National Estate Site. Justice Harper makes clear that DSE should be ensuring compliance with the Code of Forest Practice."

Mr Hastings continued, "EPA audits of Code of Practice compliance confirm that the illegal logging of Dingo Creek is not an isolated incident. Now that the Code of Practice is recognised as law, the EPA audits put the Bracks government on notice to improve their compliance. Although improvements have been made in rainforest management, logging continues without required prescriptions for protection of habitat trees, hollow bearing trees and old-growth forest."

Mr Hastings said, 'This decision concludes four years of hearings before the Magistrates Court, then the County Court and finally the Judicial Review in the Supreme Court. It was very upsetting to discover rainforest logged and dead gliders on the ground at Dingo Creek. Justice Harper's ruling should ensure that the DSE prevents this from happening again."

Greg Tantram said "The massive piles of trees left behind after the clearfelling of old-growth forest at Dingo Creek was unnecessary destruction. Old-growth forest is being wasted instead of being saved for future generations."

Forest Network congratulate Tony and Greg on their fantastic efforts. Many people campaigning to save old growth forests have been daunted and intimidated by the immense task and risk of legally challenging a powerful public agency like the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE).

The Tasmanian Government says a decision by a Japanese paper mill to stop sourcing woodchips from old-growth forests is the result of a manipulative propaganda campaign by conservationists.

Mitsubishi is one of three Japanese mills which sources woodchips from Tasmania. Mitsubishi's new policy states it will no longer engage in business activities shown to be unsustainable.

Tasmanian Greens leader Peg Putt applauds the decision, saying there is no reason for old-growth logging in Tasmania to continue. "The only reason it seems that governments are intent on staying in old-growth is pure bloody-mindedness," she said.

However, Resources Minister Bryan Green says forestry operations in Tasmania are sustainable. He blames Mitsubishi's decision on intense lobbying by environmentalists. "It's disappointing that the Wilderness Society and others have sought to go overseas to try to misrepresent what is actually happening here," he said.

About 5 per cent of the woodchips exported from Tasmania are from old-growth forests.

Black Friday for Tasmania’s Forests

Prime Minister John Howard and Tasmanian State Premier Paul Lennon said they were crossing the borders of party politics on Friday 13th May, when they jointly announced the long awaited federal Liberal policy on Tasmania’s Forests. The launch was done amidst the Styx Valley forests and their towering eucalypts, along with a bus load of journalists and the Forestry Union, the CFMEU. Not a single conservationist to be seen.

Howard and Lennon were to become, as Greens Senator Bob Brown put it, soul brothers in destruction, as they let down the Australian community by breaking a raft of promises (surprise?) and condemning tens of thousands of hectares of old growth forests to the bulldozers and chainsaws.

Gone was the protection of thousands of hectares of high conservation value forests across Tasmania. Of the promise to protect 170,000 hectares of forest, only 58,000ha was given even basic protection from logging, in the form of a formal reserve. The rest, some 60% of the package is a collection of informal reserves which offer no real protection and which may not have been logged anyway.

What has been offered is partial protection in a mix of formal and informal reserves, 73,000 hectares in the Tarkine forests of the NW and 13,000 hectares of the Styx Valley in the South. At first glance this may seem like a huge win, yet these reserves still allow mining and large-scale development such as tourism resorts. This is in stark contrast to federal Labor’s election promise to ensure that these areas were to receive the highest protection possible as National Parks and World Heritage Areas. Small scraps and slithers of largely unloggable forest was also offered protection in places such as The Blue Tier, Wielangta, Eastern Tiers and the NE Highlands.

What have been missed out are forests like the Weld Valley in the far south of the State. This is a place that was mentioned in the Liberal Forest Policy and post election by Liberal Ministers as a valley worthy of protection. The Weld has had its tall forests and wild river recognised by the World Heritage Bureau as a place of international significance, Tasmania’s own Parks and Wildlife Service has also called for its protection. Instead these grand forests will be fed to the woodchipper, its rare and endangered animals, such as the Wedge Tailed Eagle and the Eastern Quoll will be face the threat of the chainsaws.

Gone was the promise of ending 1080 poison on private land. Despite widespread horror at this toxic poison’s effect on native wildlife, Howard has only promised to ‘reduce’ its use. 1080 has been banned in the USA since the 1970’s and has very restricted use in every other state in Australia. Its effects produce a slow and painful death for hundreds of thousands of wallabies, possums and pademelons each year in Tasmania. At present anyone who says they have trouble with wildlife effecting their crops can apply to get some.

A promise to reduce clearfelling in old growth forests sounds good until you work out what is to replace it. Every year 20,000 hectares of native forests are logged in Tasmania, most of this is clearfelled. This outdated and brutal technique clears every single tree, limb and leaf in areas of up to 120 hectares at a time. All the native creatures that live there are either forced to leave or killed. Howard’s promise is to reduce the amount of clearfelling to 20% of old growth forests by 2010. The rest of the old growth face a new method that forestry calls aggregated retention. This really is just clump clearfelling, where the forest is cut up into circular patterns, like a golf course. No real change for the tree or the animals.

Slipped in with the clearfelling promise was an endorsement of old growth Forest Furnaces. Banned in every eastern state, native forest fuelled power stations have been given the blessing of the Howard government. This has been done with the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET), through which the Federal Liberals have allowed the burning of ancient forests to be classed as renewable energy alongside solar and wind power. The electricity from this forest eating plant will be sold to Victorian consumers as clean, green power.

Landclearing has been given the green light until 2010. This is when the Howard government has set a deadline for the end of conversion of native forests to plantations. In the meantime plantation establishment on land where old growth forests once stood, will be moving full speed ahead.

$250 million dollars, which included $2 million for PR work, is to be spent on this horror package for Tasmania’s forests. Prime Minister Howard and State Premier Lennon have called it a ‘Community Forest Agreement’. Without consulting the community or the 15 or so conservation groups that called for 240,000 hectares of high conservation value forests to be given complete protection in national parks. The soul brothers of destruction have said that this will end the forest debate in Tasmania. It will not. The package is an insult and only serves to prop up an industry that has already received half a billion dollars in taxpayer subsidies since the early 1980’s.