Forest destruction for decades

Geoff Law Wilderness Society MR

“If they don’t pulp the old trees, then they’ll burn them in the mill’s power generator or chip them for export,” warned Mr Law. “Any forest that contains old trees is crucial for nature conservation, but many such forests are condemned by dodgy definitions of oldgrowth.”

The Australian: Paul Lennon: Right from the outset, I have indicated I wanted the Government and Forestry Tasmania to be as transparent as possible
MEDIA RELEASE 19 October 2007

PULP-MILL LOG DEAL LOCKS IN FOREST DESTRUCTION FOR DECADES

If old trees are not pulped, they will be burnt or chipped

The deal between Forestry Tasmania and Gunns partly released today will lock in destruction of Tasmania’s forests for several decades to come, according to the Wilderness Society.

And the Government and Forestry Tasmania have confirmed that export-woodchipping of oldgrowth forests will continue, even after the pulp mill is built.

The Government and Forestry Tasmania have claimed that only ‘regrowth’ native forests will be pulped but have not defined what ‘regrowth’ is and whether ‘regrowth’ contains old trees.

1.5 million tonnes of logs from public forests and plantations will be fed into the pulp mill each year. And 300-500,000 tonnes per annum of oldgrowth forests will continue to be exported as woodchips even if the pulp mill goes ahead.

Wilderness Society campaigner Geoff Law said that the pledge not to pulp oldgrowth forests is just another promise waiting to be broken.

“If they don’t pulp the old trees, then they’ll burn them in the mill’s power generator or chip them for export,” warned Mr Law. “Any forest that contains old trees is crucial for nature conservation, but many such forests are condemned by dodgy definitions of oldgrowth.”

“Mr Lennon and Forestry Tasmania have confirmed today that the lunacy of export woodchipping will continue even if the pulp mill proceeds.”

“The wood-supply agreement released today means the destruction of hundreds of thousands of hectares of native forests, particularly in northern Tasmania.”

Mr Law called on Forestry Tasmania and the Government to reveal the following:

What is their definition of ‘regrowth’? (They have claimed that only ‘regrowth’ or plantation logs will be pulped):

• Can they rule out the burning of oldgrowth in the mill’s power generator?

• Can they assure Gunns’ Japanese customers that no oldgrowth woodchips will be sent to Japan?

• Can they assure the public that no trees older than 100 years will be pulped in the mill? (Many areas claimed to be ‘regrowth’ by Forestry Tasmania contain trees that are hundreds of years old.)

The pulp mill and the forests

How much wood will the pulp mill consume?

At full capacity, the pulp mill will consume 4.5 million tonnes per annum of wood – 4 million for pulping and 500,000 for burning for power.

How much of this will be from native forests and how much from plantations?

At start-up, 80% of the mill’s logs will come from native forests. This is projected to decrease to 20% over 10 years as plantations are phased in. However, there is no guarantee that Gunns’ projected phase-in of plantations will occur. If Gunns’ projections of supply from plantations are not realised – because of reduced rainfall or increased bushfires caused by global warming, for example – the shortfall will almost certainly be met by more logging of native forests. Meanwhile, Gunns’ huge plantation resources south of Burnie will be exported as woodchips while the pulp mill consumes native forests.

What area of forest will be logged to feed the pulp mill?

The figures from Gunns’ Impact Statement show that the pulp mill will consume over 32 million tonnes of native forest in 25 years. Using current average tonnes per hectare rates, the Wilderness Society has calculated, conservatively, that the pulp mill will destroy over 200,000 hectares of forest. That is 2000 square kilometres, or a square 45 kilometres long on each side, or a 10-kilometre-wide strip of forest stretching from Hobart to Launceston.

Will oldgrowth forest be consumed in the pulp mill?

Gunns claims that no oldgrowth forest as defined by the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) will be pulped in the mill. However, this pledge has a number of holes:
• Gunns told the Wilderness Society in August 2006 that there is no upper limit on the age of trees that can pulped by the mill. There is therefore no technological impediment to pulping oldgrowth.
• Oldgrowth could – and probably will – be burnt in the massive wood-fired power generator.
• The RFA definition of oldgrowth is very narrow and excludes many forests that contain very old trees and many areas that have never been logged before.
• Every other major assurance about the pulp mill has been broken. There is therefore every reason to suspect that, once the mill is up and running, the ‘no oldgrowth’ promise will be incrementally discarded and watered down.

Will logging of Tasmania’s native forests increase to feed the pulp mill?

Gunns’ current rate of woodchip exports is 3.4 million tonnes per annum. The pulp mill’s consumption of wood will be greater than current levels of woodchip production. Gunns’ claim that logging will not increase as a result of the mill’s operations is therefore wrong. But Gunns’ impact statement shows that the rate of woodchip production to feed all of its mills will increase to 6.8 million tonnes per annum. Logging to feed all of Gunns’ mills will therefore double.

Will the ‘lunacy’ of export woodchipping end if the pulp mill goes ahead?

How many of Tasmania’s forests are protected from logging?

30% of Tasmania’s original area of forest is protected; 70% has been totally destroyed or remains unprotected. The pulp mill will lock in destruction of our forests. Areas directly threatened by the pulp mill include the Great Western Tiers, North-East Highlands, Ben Lomond forests, Eastern Tiers and the South-East.