BOB McMAHON
Are the self appointed censors of Gunns and Forestry Tasmania attempting to distort the truth about Tamar siltation? The report by NRM North on Tamar siltation is due to be released soon. However, has a hitch occurred in the process? Based on anonymous phone calls I have received, I am compelled, in the public interest, to ask the following questions:
1. Is it true that the figures obtained by NRM North sourced from Hydro research, reveal that 40% of the siltation in the South Esk is from forestry operations and that the figure for the North Esk is 60%?
2. Is it true both Gunns and Forestry Tasmania have leaned on NRM North?
3. Is it true that as a result of that pressure NRM are acceding to a ‘peer review’ of the research?
4. In these peculiar Tasmanian circumstances what does ‘peer review’ mean?
The Examiner report:
SHELLEY SPENCER, Examiner
HEAVY rain is a positive step towards helping the Tamar River’s silt problem but a lot more is needed to have a significant impact, according to Launceston City Council alderman Graeme Beams.
While the North Esk at Corra Linn made for a spectacular sight yesterday, 150 cubic metres a second poured over the Trevallyn Dam, which Alderman Beams said prevented silt from settling and loosened hard mud.
“We would need a lot more than that to be useful in scouring out the excessive silt that exists in the Tamar River,” Alderman Beams said.
“You would need around 1000 cubic metres per second to make a difference to the silt that is around the upper reaches.”
As the former chairman of the Upper Tamar River Authority, Alderman Beams said the river needed a strong flood.
It has been four years since substantial rainfall had a significant impact on the silt problem.
“This was the last major scouring of the upper reaches of the Tamar where 300,000 cubic metres washed down the river into Bass Strait.
“It was worth millions to the silt program at the time.”
The rain has also been a welcome relief to farmers, who have not experienced good winter rains for some years, according to Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers chief executive Chris Oldfield.
“Some of the rainfalls in Tasmania in June were records for the state. So clearly that is sorely needed,” he said.
Mr Oldfield, however, said it would take farmers three to five years to recover from the drought.
“They had to run down stock numbers every week during the drought and the land would not carry the level of stock they traditionally carried,” he said.
“They had to carry a lot more debt to see them through these periods, so it is going to take some years before we see a full recovery.
“Just because it rains doesn’t mean all the problems have gone away.”
