Forestry on the dole (2)

Vica Bayley Wilderness Society MR
“A total of $36.1 million dollars of taxpayers’ money could be used to access and log new areas of forest such as those in the Upper Florentine, where Forestry Tasmania have admitted that up to 90% of the timber ends up as low-value products like woodchips.”
MEDIA RELEASE – Thursday 15th January, 2009

FLORENTINE ROAD AND LOGGING PAID FOR BY THE TAXPAYER

The Wilderness Society today reminded the Tasmanian and Australian public that their taxes are being used by Forestry Tasmania to push new roads unto oldgrowth areas such as the Upper Florentine, and to subsidise uneconomic logging techniques like the modified clearfelling planned for the area.

Under the Howard-Lennon Supplementary RFA (TFCA) a total of $36.1 million was given to the logging industry, predominantly to Forestry Tasmania, to access and log new areas of oldgrowth forest despite some of those areas, like the Styx and Upper Florentine, being promised protection.

“The public must remember that not only are they losing a World Heritage forest asset to the woodchip industry, but they are also paying for the privilege,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for The Wilderness Society.

“The Tasmanian logging industry, particularly the sector logging oldgrowth, is propped up by taxpayers, costing millions of dollars to build new roads and subsidise environmentally destructive logging practices.”

“Forestry Tasmania has already squandered some of this money on new roads and logging in the Styx, Tarkine, Weld and other parts of the Florentine. This new logging in the oldgrowth forests of the Upper Florentine will also be paid for by the public.”

Despite this heavy subsidisation, Forestry Tasmania delivered a loss of $55 million dollars in the 07/08 financial year, equating to over a million dollars a week.

Under the TFCA Tasmanian and Federal Governments committed the following funds.

Measure Total Investment $m Australian Govt $m Tas Govt $m
Alternative logging to clearfelling (aggregated retention or modified clearfell) 13.1 2.0 11.1
Support for special species mills and leatherwood beekeeping 3 (for new ‘low-impact roads’) 3
New roads 20.0 20.0

“A total of $36.1 million dollars of taxpayers’ money could be used to access and log new areas of forest such as those in the Upper Florentine, where Forestry Tasmania have admitted that up to 90% of the timber ends up as low-value products like woodchips,” concluded Mr Bayley.