Claire is does seem to be that in the rush to cut the forests down at the least profit, the quality loses out.
If you want subsidies you need to be better at being a lobbyist and fairly lateral.
FT got $1.8 million to put in 1200 ha of Blackwood under Pine in Castra and Lower Beulah from a fund called the Rainforest conservation fund.
You see you have to know where to look for money, and how to make what you are doing sound good to the government.
How the bloody hell did FT convince anyone that planting Blackwood with a Pine nurse crop was going to save rainforest. Anyones guess.?
Of course it doesn’t matter if the crop succeeds as long as you have the money. None of the Blackwoods that FT put in will ever see a sawmill.
A large amount of them in the Gog Ranges/Beulah area managed to find themselves a great view of the underside of excavators before they were magically transformed into smoke.
I suggest that you look at getting seed money for a project to compress blackberries into fire bricks. Probably more chance than getting a forestry grant.

I agree Tasmania is much too dependent on handouts. In Tas you know if you are right when people don’t bother replying to you. They must have been told ‘don’t respond to an allegation if it’s correct’. I’ve just discovered that Hobart is represented by 6 senators while Canberra is only represented by 2. I’ve discovered that the more political representation a state has the lower it’s standard of living. I’ve called it ‘Stevens 2nd Law’. I’m also predicting that much of the ‘junk legislation’ they have been writing is starting to unravel. Take superannuation for example? It was supposed to help people in their retirement but all it did was rip billions out of Australian families. Now the people who created it are worried it’s become a magnet for international organised crime. That’s typical of how the system is now functioning.

Curious readers comment fragment on a past TT article:

“investigation by the Forest Practices Authority into the falling of trees on the banks of the Detention River (a class 1 river) on your property”

It was deleted very soon by the editor. Is there anything that can be said to enlighten us in relation to that readers comment? It just has me intrigued both by the sudden censorship and also the story behind the comment.

The hand outs will more than likely happen. Even the Liberals can’t be so blind to see just how much public land is still available for their mates to squander. Once the money is in they are then free to do a back peddle in the future and to still use public forests for political election mileage. They say they want to keep the current status quo of logging Tasmanias forests - will they keep Labors man Bobby Gordon and co running FT? Or put their own toy boy (s) in? 

But that aside, isn’t it where the money goes that should be questioned? Subsidizing a low value, high turnover industry whereby essentially many of the same people get the money and continually fail … or into a better, brighter, smaller, high value (for all Tasmanians) industry?

The test is - what value is a quality high value native specialty log worth from private land managed sustainably with the highest consideration for environmental values, compared to a log from Forestry Tasmania which under the same management heads and hands prefers to hide the effects of their damaging practices? We see the money wasted, the logs wasted, the public pays again and again. Few see the benefits. Wouldn’t it be better to privatise at least part of the industry?

I certainly don’t want to see vast swathes of industrial scale monocultures, for a variety of reasons which have been documented by many in the past. I would much rather see practical solutions, such as mixed forests reestablished on degraded land, in gullys, around water courses etc. Part of the industry could benefit from fixing the mistakes of the past and supply some of the future timber needs, as on going management of such will require some timber extraction.

The one shoe fits all or putting all your eggs into one basket approach, such as what happened with Gunns/MIS plantations/FT practices all for the one idea of a pulp mill was a more than obvious failure … that rotten apple has spoiled so much. Time to divide the cake properly and fairly is my suggestion.

(3) Don’t know what your talking about. I’ve got a class two creek on my property, all documented by FT and others! ‘cos I made them walk the length and breadth! and I’m not on Detention River, that might be a neighbor down the road.  I’ve had an agreement with the Inland fisheries to take any live poached giant freshwater crayfish and protect them here. A number have been tagged. The best ol’  breeder is dubbed ‘Claire’,  would you like to come and see her?  She’s big and blue, and a bit famous, been show cased at Liaweenee in the central highlands and also in the paper, very territorial and very cute! There’s pics of her on TT, go and have a look.  I know there’s a few who have been trying to get me and screw me to wall … greedy bastards who give you nothing and take you no where .. but at least try an honest pitch Mitch!

#5, Actually was speculating completely in the dark based on that only-fleetingly-there comment fragment which obviously doesn’t seem to have been pinned on you very convincingly at all by whomever originally wrote and put it on TT. As you mention, Detention River is well away from your property. Could your creek possibly be considered a tributary of Detention River? Very likely there has been some Chinese whispers type distortion of whatever the original conjecture about you (or perhaps the conjecture was about your neighbour as some sort of culprit then wishfully mistaken as being instead you) outlined and things were exaggerated thereby into complete fiction.

Good to hear you’re involved in conservation activities to assist the giant freshwater crayfish. Shall check TT archives for a photo of “Claire” the cray that you have mentioned. Please keep up the good work.

Fellow conservationist.

I could respond to this rant by a typical dumb-arse green commentator, but I really can’t be bothered.

so why bother with the typical dumb-arse playing-the-woman not the ball comment, George?
bit hollow, much

#7, George, you could be very much wrong about Claire being a typical green commentator. Remember after all that she left the Greens. That is not so commonly done and it seems she is intent on continuing her political candidacy in upcoming elections. So watch out as many who support the environment but don’t find the Greens so appealing, will be very welcoming of independents like her and Wilkie. Forestry industry’s game with Tasmania’s economy will then be very much under more threat, if that were at all possible. So watch out what you say as I’d presume Claire draws motivation from the contempt you have displayed towards her.

#7 Leave it to me George, I will surround Claire with comforts and assurance that I am a good and well meaning Tech Forester, as a most worthy representative of our State Forests!

Sprinkers are often used on commercial high value log piles in summer to keep them damp to reduce the effects of radial cracking.
Your blackwood logs stored under forest canopy benefited from slow curing for your own timber supply, fine.
I remember back in the mid -late 90’s we were cleaning up the remaining patchs of euc OG sawlogs in the Heazlwood coupes west of Waratah.
Because unmetalled roads were being used, there was a short window of opportunity to harvest over two summers when soils and road formation conditions were at the driest, large volumes of logs were moved over a short period of time during two summers to the Que River sawmill at Somerset owned by Neville Smith and Co. Sprinklers were used on the vast log stock piles throughout periods of dry weather.
You might remember Charlie Champion from Preolenna! or was it Meunna, one of the best log classifiers that the industry had on the North West Coast, he was a part of the logging team felling and looking to maxiumise sawlog recovery.
Of cause his background was in sawmilling and not pulpwood with AFH/APPM/North Forests/Gunns and that made a vast difference when it came to fair and reasonable Cat1 sawlog classification standards.
Charlie was “my man on the job” as the tree faller at the Heazlewood cleanup of the remaining areas, many were previously cutover coupes.

Good luck with your freshwater crayfish care, a worthy cause, sometime in the future I could tell you about the replanting of radiata plantations around the back of Wynward in accordance with the FPC. There is no doubt that FT excelled in some areas of biodiversity restoration, the freshwater crayfish habitat was deemed as important as it is virtually symbolic only occuring within limited NW river systems running into Bass Strait
I remember writing up some rather complex Timber Harvesting Plans to protect the streams carrying crayfish, I hope that leaves you with some good impressions of former and hopefully current FT staff.
Unfortunately our policy makers got on the wrong footing for a while in areas riddled with creeks and drainage lines around the back of Laponyia and North Forests in the watershed of the Upper Cam River were literally destroying vast areas of native forest to replace with that wretched monoculture eucalypt plantation.
I think it was a chap named Todd Walsh who as a fisheries officer? alerted the public to the declining habitat of the freshwater crayfish.
We were under good instruction from our Forest Practices Unit who I think it was Sarah Munks who helped us with our field practice guidelines.

(7) George - the world according to carp.  Why don’t you practice some originality with your lyre Gnomeo and stop fawning all over Labor and FT.

What’s that saying … if you don’t know something make it up … your making up stories as usual George and you’ve done that to me plenty of times in the past. By the sound of it, if you want to juxtapose, I’d suggest your hides 3-4 times bigger than mine, so it’s all relative I guess…!

Perhaps you could do with some hands on healing …!!  You have never recognised that ultimately all the way along I’ve been trying to help you as specialty timber woodworker. What was it that gnomeo said … I’m ‘stuck’ … your stuck listening to and toeing a line that destroys the best of what Tassies fine timbers has to offer and show case.

Am I infact a “green”? As (9) Peter has said, I left the Greens. Indeed please define what a ‘green’ is. Is it anyone who cares for the environment? someone who votes for the Greens? someone who is a member of the Greens? Your labor party is in bed with Greens, I could therefore suggest you’re toeing more of a Green party line than I. I actually think of myself as independent.

More importantly it’s your god Bobby Gordon who’s left the logs to rot on the wharf … what are you scared of George … you’ll have to fairly pay for your logs/timber in the future? Indeed what royalties do you pay for your Blackwood George? Does it all come through FT or do you buy some privately? The best Blackwood comes from the N/W of the state, do you use the inferior southern stuff or does bobster deliver the N/W logs to you for free?

Oh and by the way, how’s the ‘club’ going … all getting payouts, one by one?

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(10) Robin, much better than George … Ohh comforts and assurance, good and well meaning … so you think you’re a bit of a charmer … hmmm, well we’ll see …  At least a little informative, and I’m more than willing to listen and learn more … and question of course along the way.  (you know whistle blowers have a lot of respect these days …. Much kudo for being real men … think about and consider it !) You wouldn’t suggest wasting water and putting sprinklers on Burnie wharf would you? How do you feel about some of the industry being privatised? Do you think the specialty timber industry can be successful on state forest alone?

And I have met and know a few ‘good’ ones who have worked for or contracted to FT and forest industry in general. Indeed one of the best and most sincere people I have ever met was contracted to FT and was associated with helping me secure the habitat of the local giant fresh water crayfish … someone other than Todd, who I know and has been here too.  I am not against the average forest worker/contractor,  I’m questioning of the hierarchy and their failures to secure a decent future.

Thanks Claire, I dont regard my self as a whistle blower but I clearly aim to see a bit more of a balance between blinded politics, biodiversity, rural social economics, production forestry and destructive bushfires!
I am with you on questioning the hierarchy and their failure to secure a decent future.
We wont waste water on the Burnie log stockpiles.
My thoughts on privatising part of the industry?
Softwood already is, the community in Scottsdale suffered badly once Gunns got their hands on the Auspine Mills. The original JV that FT created back in March 1999 when FT lost control of its best earner speldt disaster for FT which has never recovered from!
I would never support the remaining forestry be taken over by foreign interests, FT needs to be more involved and exert renewed confidence among the community, With its eucalypt plantation failures to reach Cat1 sawlog status it will be quite a while till my confidence is restored within its modern forest management regime.
I would expect that the recent shock treatment that FT was subjected to via the TGA it would be a wake up call for the hierachy to do better this time around regardless of the TGA approval outcome.
How is the FT workforce based at Camdale going these days!

Claire and Robin, no doubt you are both aware of what we might refer to as ‘the silence of the executive board Lambs,’ when it comes down to the lack of sensible intelligent direction given by the executive board of Forestry Tasmania for the past 10 or so years?
Among that lot were those who signed off each year to this GBEs annual financial statements, no matter to the discrepancies of detail and the setting up of the provision for employee superannuation fund.
Now that this provision without its actual cash therein in somewhere near or above $150,000,000-00, what and when will this deplorable lack of attendance to this Federal government over-sighted dilemma, when will this serious matter be investigated?
Where did this money go if it were not into payments to the employee super fund payments?

Perhaps former chairman, Adrian Kloeden or even their figures man Miles Hampton could respond to this provisional contingency to create a provisional account that has as its provision, an almost empty ledger containing the record of payments actually paid into the super fund?

When the talk or discussion relating to this matter is introduced into the conversation, no-one seem to be able to find that particular information?
Could this be but another, ‘Commercial in Confidence dealing,’ hidden from public view?
Tis my way of thinking this is something quite substantial, ($150 odd millions dollars,) not some mere peccadillo of small petty-cash amounts floating off into the stratosphere?

An elected minister and at differing times our caretaker Premier, also a nominally responsible person who is listed as a stake-holder, one Bryan (the giggler) Green, ‘who is also this State’s forestry minister,’ should be able to find the answer to this missing millions super fund dilemma.

Perhaps this is something you could get your teeth into Robin and find out the facts about this specific issue from the former and present non-executive directors of Forestry Tasmania?

If not, then George Harris should be able to call on his Labor government sources, or those influences he holds the with the Bobster?

(12) Robin - Sounds like there is at least some common ground. Time perhaps to broker/mediate a sensible, constructive, realistic outcome …

In regards to privatization I was alluding to, not foreign takeovers, but as the ‘specialty’ article suggests, what are your thoughts on Gordon Bradbury’s Blackwood co-op? … by the people, for the people. Do you support it? Yes or no?

Re - FT Camdale - it appears the ones who could deny the truth best, trumped promotions. Did you ever see my FT file? Some really good stuff in there … if they told the truth, tho highly unlikely. Interesting how they keep tabs and files on people … even if they do make a lot of it up.

Re – “I would expect that the recent shock treatment that FT was subjected to via the TGA it would be awake up call for the hierarchy to do better this time around regardless of the TGA approval outcome.”

Do you think Forestry Tasmania ‘should’ change some of their practices?  A simple yes or no would do to start with.

Must admit I don’t have the same faith in them waking up … they ‘should’, but ‘will’ they? I’d suggest they are just trying on different deceitful tactics … Rolley is rolling his dice once again I see! Let’s recall he was one of the main architects of the Forestry Practices Code … he knows a lot about interchanging ‘should’ and ‘will’ …

Wouldn’t it be great if some of the genuine, honest, experienced foresters/scientists, those who really care and want to make our states working forests truly ‘world class’, ecologically and financially productive and secure for generations to come (as opposed to those that ignore or hide the truth, simply act as puppets and mouth pieces for their masters),  pulled together and said … enough is enough, we won’t acquiesce to the likes of Bobby Gordon, Rolley, political party’s selfish political agendas …  let’s restructure our industry to something honestly good, respected and viable.  Afterall isn’t it the foresters whose hands the industry is ultimately in?

Who does the CFMEU really represent? – not the average workers, but the heads of industry. Why do they want a single player to control, monopolise the industry? Oh that’s right they get subs off the workers … What about more small businesses employing more people …? More for the people by the people.

It’s the execs and their blinkered ways which have ruined the long term viability and reputation of the industry and Forestry Tas.

Doesn’t any person, no matter their industry, want to be proud of the work they do and who they work for … feel like they are contributing positively?  Doing the same thing and expecting different results isn’t very bright is it? But this is what the industries fat cats media spin to the public, indeed even to their own workers. Two Forestry people I knew, one from FT and one from the FPA who did the right thing quickly “disappeared” … in FT’s managements’ terms …he’s no longer with us/FT. What sort of Government Business Enterprise is that? A curry of favours and intimidation?

Forestry practices should have changed years ago, but as they didn’t isn’t it now doubly imperative that what forests are left for the industry, be managed better? Indeed aren’t there infact other forestry techniques which could be incorporated for good long term outcomes? WHY are so many so scared of looking outside the square into something positive … indeed prefer the tried and true failures?  … oh that’s right they get payouts.

For years the industry kept saying it couldn’t possibly survive on less forests, well if it had at all been ‘sustainable’, they wouldn’t have had to clear so much so quickly and kept requiring more.

Behind the scenes many a Forestry Tas person complains about what goes on, well why don’t they do something about it? Pull together and get the fat cats sacked, demand, indeed create better management …

What’s the government going to do if a petition/rally is presented to them by the vast majority of FT employees asking for such? sack all the foresters/scientists and keep Bobby and Board on, running a ghost ship?  highly unlikely, indeed I’ll guarantee they won’t.
Cont.

Forestry Tasmania’s forest management strategy clearly has not worked, locally or internationally. So rather than ‘workers’ being told to sit down, and shut-up, led up the garden path or toe the line as usual, and expecting that the same heads will, by some miracle, become good and fair managers, perhaps the workers could help lead the charge … for change?  I’ll even help rally and lead the charge if you like … now wouldn’t that be a turn up for the books!!

Wouldn’t it be nice to think we could be fair and reasonable neighbours? At the moment without some realistic change for the better in (on the ground) forestry practices, the ‘war’ will still simmer away … whilst all those legitimately affected by the generally ignorant hierarchy are little better off. 

One only has to look at the timing of agreements and promises to see just how politically motivated the party ‘deals’ are. Indeed add to this, the Liberals saying they will tear up any ensuing agreement/legislation. What’s the point in wasting so many peoples time, money, indeed livelihoods and futures on selfish political agendas and their mates club whims?

Why continue to be pawns, when you can be knights …!

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