Comments
Thank you Pete for your efforts in producing this report.
All this talk about Worlds Best Practice and sustainability is a load of rubbish.
Posted by David Mohr on 08/06/06 at 02:27 AMA small-ish article in today’s Exaggerator delivered news of Mr Rolley’s resignation; in Rod Scott’s day it would probably have been splashed across page one, and you can imagine the suitably obsequious headlines for yourselves.
The outgoing Chief Chipper made mention of the stress his position had placed his family under—his position as CEO precluding him from responding to attacks, insults, etc etc. I can empathise to a degree. Leadership isn’t a popularity contest.
However, I empathise more strongly with those Tasmanian families who are facing massive legal bills as a result of litigation by Gunns Ltd. I know that Gunns and FT are seperate entities, of course, although when I look at Pete’s pictures I wonder just how different they are.
Perhaps Mr Rolley will go into the Secondhand Ferry Sales business in his new spare time.
Posted by Cameron on 08/06/06 at 05:34 AMIt is either criminally insane or monstrously ignorant to believe that the economy is in any way more important to us than the biosphere.
Evan Rolley has benefitted personally from the destruction of our native forests and their conversion into smoke and near worthless woodchips. He was the ‘point man’ for the government’s destruction of public timber resources, and as such he betrayed all Tasmanians by selling our forests at rock bottom prices and destroying our children’s natural heritage.
Good riddance.
Posted by Deeply concerned on 08/06/06 at 06:23 AMIsn’t this simply a matter of the rat leaping from the sinking ship??
Evan has always been a pretty savvy businessman - he definitely would not be wanting to tarnish his (in his own mind) entirely honourable career history with the kind of implosion which is imminent in the soon-to-be decimated Tasmanian forestry industry…
Posted by Deb on 08/06/06 at 07:56 AMThe loss of someone of Evan Rolley’s stature makes the massacre of the Dazzlers seem a fleabite. Evan has left a footprint that can literally be seen from outer space, and all without leaving anything but a pool of red ink to show for it.
Evan may have left at a good time, what with FT reportedly due to announce a loss this year despite the best efforts of their accounting contortionists.
I hope Evan takes some satisfaction in leaving while his side is, in his own words, “winning”, which presumably means leading the developed world in the proportional rate of native forest destruction and in the lowest rate of value adding.
It is awful how he was bagged by all those people outside the Gunns tent while he could only stand inside helpless, protected only by a thick pay packet and a vast PR fund, endlessly mocking his tormenters with nonsense verse about “world’s best practice” and “sustainability”.
It all took its toll, especially on the Tasmanian landscape, but Evan can count himself lucky in many respects.
It is also a fair bet that the terms on which Gunns’ pulp mill will be supplied will not win Evan public adulation, if they ever come to light.
So sit back, Evan, gaze out on the denuded hills swathed in smoke, and congratulate yourself on a job truly done.
John Hayward
Posted by lhayward on 08/06/06 at 08:11 AM“Mr Rolley said his resignation as CEO would take effect from December, but he would stay on as a consultant.” (Mercury story).
It’s a little early to celebrate - sounds like this man is going to be around to train the next person in this brand of ‘best forest practice’ and may be just fading into the background to pull the strings from behind.
Meanwhile the moustached ones are chanting ‘world’s best practice’ in relation to the proposed pulp mill as well. It too will involve creative interpretation of legislation and finding the loopholes.
Shame on you unionists, for selling out your state at election time because you are too lazy to think for yourselves and you desperately needed anyone to act the part of pack leader. Well those poor dogs depicted on this site earlier this week are pack animals and look where they ended their lives when they mindlessly followed the leader.
Thanks Pete for opening our eyes with your story - even though the knowledge sickens us.Posted by Turnoff Thetelly on 08/06/06 at 09:13 AMWell, shows how much I read the paper.
All news to me.
Either the good life beckons or the excrement is about to enter the oscillator as they say.
The show must go on……..Posted by Dave Groves on 08/06/06 at 09:16 AMQuick poll - how many of the posters to this story have had to run large organisations, say, of the size of FT, with specific remits to the State Government?
And I am not talking about operations equivalent to your organic garden or the chook pen.
Posted by super_Annoyed on 08/06/06 at 12:25 PMSuper Annoyed, maybe your question should be:
“How many of the posters, having the necessary qualifications for such a position, will be refused an interview because of their background, views and political leanings?”
Judging from the comments of posters on the forestry debate here at TT I would say quite a few would be able to fill the position quite comfortably, and steer FT in the direction of ecological and economic sustainability. The chances of them actually scoring the position under the current political regime…close to ZERO.
“And I am not talking about operations equivalent to your organic garden or the chook pen.” Oh please! This is stereotyping at its best (or worst). Most of the “Greenies” I know are highly qualified academics or business people by day. If they also raise chooks or have a vege patch in their backyard SO WHAT! Contrary to your world view, there is no inverse correlation between IQ (and common sense) and the number of chooks raised (or number of vegies cultivated) in one’s backyard!
Now becoming Super Pissed-Off!
Posted by Tassie Smurf on 09/06/06 at 12:37 AMNot sure what your point is SA but I do know that the water supplies of people in Caveside and Chudleigh were impacted upon due to the breaches outlined in Pete’s report.
The Forest Practices Authority have been negligent in protecting the environment and the health and well being of those living in these communities.
Posted by David Mohr on 09/06/06 at 12:44 AMSuper Annoyed’s poll question seems to imply that if you haven’t wasted $85 Million then you have no right to comment.
It aint ‘your’ money Super, it’s ours.
Posted by Simon R on 09/06/06 at 02:03 AMSo, I’ll take the response as supporting my case. It’s a complex world my friends…
Posted by super Annoyed on 09/06/06 at 05:53 AMGiven the Tenor of Rolley’s cricket analogies, methinks he is exiting stage left to go out on a high note; mindful of the crash that is coming.
He will be staying on as a ‘consultant’, maybe as the power behind the throne (edited).
Posted by jon sumby on 09/06/06 at 06:46 AMIn response to Super Annoyed , I have never run an organisation as large as FT that is true. One wonders really how much skill is needed though. With an army of advisers and memos filtering down from above. I am sure that Mr Rolley is a competent man, he may be a very decent chap but his orders come from others and his brief would have been to supply mates with timber as fast and cheap as possible. I do not envy him the job.
As far as my qualifications , I am an electrician by trade, have certificates in electronics, have taught in TAFE , and now work as a builder. I have stood in and managed a business with 15 workers when the manager was on annual leave.
In relation to the breaches of the code that I have posted. The first pictures of the road built through private land were found to be prosecutable offences and Gunns were fined $5000 and told to fix the road to the required standard.
The caveside photos are also of a Gunns coupe and they were not prosecuted but were involved in discussions with the Forest Practices Authority and required to fix some batter slumping (landslips on road cuttings),and to address a number of other issues. The erosion on Dalgarth hill was a pine plantation and was managed by Rayonier who were fined $2000 and required to repair the damage.
My main qualifications are that I love Tasmania, and having travelled over the East Coast of the Mainland and to Europe, I think that Tasmania is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. I can read, I can write and I care.Posted by Pete Godfrey on 09/06/06 at 08:10 AMPete - thanks for your post. I think that the one thing that unites the great majority of TT posters is their love of Tasmania.
It is a superb, unique place.
I suppose, some of my Annoyance often comes from folk running down the Island or its people. They should get out more.
Posted by super Annoyed on 09/06/06 at 11:34 PMInteresting to hear Rayonier mentioned in Pete’s post. Exactly what is going with negotiations between this crowd and Auspine—and why has Bryan Green (you know, the one with the moustache) weighed in?
The chorus from the Liberal camp is ‘Hypocrisy!’ I wouldn’t vote Liberal in a pink fit but I’m happy to concur with them on this occasion.
And Bryan has only just washed his hands of the SPOT debacle…
Interesting [Tasmanian] Times, people, interesting indeed.
Posted by Cameron on 10/06/06 at 04:09 AMMAYBE with auspine out of the way gunns can gobble up all the pine resources aided and and abetted by the two moes.
Posted by crud on 10/06/06 at 05:46 AMGood on you Pete,
Never forget, it’s a big land grab!
In the past there where many that had a share in the forestry, sawmilling game, but now it has become a duopoly situation.
And the Jolly medal winner (from his mates), is part of all this.
I keep hearing him more and more often in interviews and so on, mentioning or pointing out that the parliament is responsible for “how much wood” and where the quality logs and chips have to be cut by legislation.
During the RFA members in the community made submissions to say that proper forestry can not be run on a legislated demand by the “big end”.
No, no Evan, as the most senior forester in this state and together with your excellent team of forestry experts, over the years you could have advised these parliamentarians that proper, sustainable forest management is much about more than “mining” high quality timber by demand.
Evan is good in twisting and turning the words and emotions of others, he got away with millions of tonnes of wasted forests, wasted timbers, wasted soil, wasted clean water, and wasted community cooperation.
No, I can not see why he should deserve to just take his batt and ball and keep his commercial gains flowing. I hope he will live long in his(semi)retirement to experience the things Tasmanians will have to confront.
It’s just sad that Evan and his colleagues have put their working lives into converting mixed forests into tree crops and into unsustainable monoculture tree crops.
He gets excited that nowadays the plywood industry in Malaysia will glue sheets of Tasmanian veneer together that were peeled in the Huon and that then turn into ‘ECO-TIMBER’ in Japan PEFC certified.
What about the many sawmillers and other forest users that could make a living in this state with a fraction of the volume of growing stock that will be harvested in these 20 years?
150,000 m3 p.a. @ $55.- to $90 /m3 billets, this for 15 years plus, delivered to the mill gate in the Huon.One has to wonder, how big the total commission is and in what form it will be delivered.
The international network of likeminded dealers he has built up over the years as he said, will thank him for it.
How can that sort of royalty ever pay for high quality, innovative forest management without clearfell, despite rising costs for fuel, machine imports education?
The Jolly Captain has set it up, he had the sparkling in his eyes, he got the happiness of the day. But remember what the Garden Guru said: ”Greed will not sustain.”
Just Wondering
Posted by Just Wondering on 10/06/06 at 09:06 AMHaven’t been out to Bridport for a while, but yesterday was an eye opener.
On the northern side of the Bridport Road the ground is churned waiting planting of trees.
It covers a massive area between the Brid and Little Forester Rivers.
It was in March 2005 that there were water restrictions in place there, so it will be interesting to see how those rivers fare in coming years.
Also drove out through Birralee, Westbury and beyond and was awed by the smoke that consumed the area.
Glad I wasn’t sleeping out there last night.
Still, the blind charge must go on…….
Posted by Dave Groves on 10/06/06 at 07:44 PM
