Dr Frank Nicklason
ON 29/4 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd attended the COAG meeting in Hobart. During this meeting he was given a beautiful Huon pine salt and pepper grinder made by a local craftsman.
Accompanying the gift was some important information. ‘The Tasmanian special species woodcraft industry employs in excess of 2000 people on a full time basis and generates turnover of $8 million per annum. The mainstream industry has 6000 employees and turnover of $1.3 billion. But the special species uses less than 1% of the total timber cut in Tasamania per annum’.
The special species woodcraft sector is highly labour intensive and has the capacity to create many new jobs.
The broadscale conversion of Tasmanian forests and farmlands to pulpwood plantations is highly mechanised and is shedding jobs, it is causing many environmental problems, social division and is supported by public funding of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Most Tasmanians hope that Mr Rudd’s gift to Tasmania will not be more taxpayer support for the Tamar valley pulpmill.
Dr Frank Nicklason
West Hobart
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