Is this the slippery slope for Gordon, Drielsma & CO?

Are you also “extremely surprised” that Gunns owned the road and the bridge?

Mrs Francis said the road had signs welcoming visitors to forests managed by Forestry Tasmania.

“It’s Forestry Tasmania signing all the way. This area is often used by tourists and local people who make use of it as a traditional summertime activity,” she said

Forestry in Tasmania and Forestry Tasmania on a way down hill fast and faster… when will the head
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/01/13/121251_tasmania-news.html
Dismay at tourist road closure
CHARLES WATERHOUSE

January 13, 2010 12:01am

A POPULAR tourism and link road on the East Coast has been closed indefinitely and its future is in doubt.

Wielangta Rd, which links Orford and Copping and provides a shortcut between the East Coast and the Tasman Peninsula, has become
impassable because of a damaged bridge.

It is unlikely Robertsons Bridge will be repaired because it is no longer vital to forestry operations.

The road provides access to forest walks south of Orford developed by Forestry Tasmania but forest company
Gunns Limited owns the road and the bridge.

Forestry Tasmania spokesman Ken Jeffreys said the bridge could not be repaired and the cost of replacing it was about $700,000.

He said the road and the bridge had been maintained by Gunns and, because there was now limited forest harvesting in the area,
the bridge was no longer required.

The Robertsons Bridge closure was listed under road closures on the Forestry Tasmania website.

The website said temporary signs had been erected at each end of Wielangta Rd and barriers were put up on both sides of the bridge..

Concerned road-user Heather Francis, of Acton Park, said she was “extremely surprised” that Gunns owned the road and the bridge.

Mrs Francis said the road had signs welcoming visitors to forests managed by Forestry Tasmania.

“It’s Forestry Tasmania signing all the way. This area is often used by tourists and local people who make use of it as a traditional
summertime activity,” she said.

Mrs Francis said her family had enjoyed walking through the Wielangta Forest when staying at Orford during Christmas-New Year breaks.

This summer they were surprised to find the road blocked, both by fallen trees and also trenches dug deeply in the road.

Mrs Francis said the road had evidently been closed for some time given the amount of vegetation that had grown over fallen trees.

She said it was also surprising little effort had been made to rectify landslip problems since winter.

“Clearly this is an area of considerable natural beauty that many choose to use on a semi-regular basis,” Mrs Francis said.

“Beyond this, with Forestry Tasmania purporting to support tourism across this state, we find it curious that this connector between the coast and Tasman Peninsula remains closed at this peak time with little evident to rectify this.”
Frank Strie