No doubt the troubles confronting forestry contractors (Timber workers feel squeeze: HERE), due to the downturn in woodchip sales, will lead to strident calls from predictable quarters for even more government support to get the pulp mill underway. The normal juicy fare with an election looming and the industry under threat.
As contractors should by now have learned, Forestry Tasmania and Gunns can be merciless in protecting their commercial interests. They have led the contractors up a nasty snig track and will abandon them as required. It is now time for the forest contractors to repay the debts.
The pulp mill is promoted as the forest industry’s panacea. Nonsense! As we have seen in the last months, Gunns has happily abandoned the native forest resource as a feed-stock for the mill, and the contractors whose economic welfare is tied to that resource, under pressure from potential financiers. Plantation harvesting will not require armies of forest contractors.
The management of FT should be hung out to dry. Their failure to recognise and respond to the impact of the chip downturn in Japan is inexcusable. They must not be allowed to hide behind the lame excuse of the pulp mill. It has been their biggest distraction and it is a mirage. It will not support their native forest business.
At this election, Tasmania must abandon its senseless forest policies, undo Gunns forestry monopoly and withdraw its support for the pulp mill.
Picture: Fiona Breen, ABC
