Memo to Forest Industries Association of Tasmania: Times have changed

In response to the latest arguments to ignore what Tasmanians and world markets want, Our Common Ground said the Forest Industries Association just doesn’t get it.

Spokesperson Peter Skillern said the industry heavyweights have learned no lessons from their last pet project—the Tamar Valley pulp mill — which has been unable to find any financial backers to date.

“The facts are simple. If pulping more native forests was viable and what world markets wanted then companies like Gunn’s would be able to readily find financing,” said Mr Skillern. “The people who have pushed for more native forest logging for decades are on the wrong track. The experts are the bankers who know what world markets want.”

Mr Skillern said this latest push by old-style interests is another attempt to keep Tasmanians from ending old fights about forests.

“New Zealand and Queensland have all fixed their timber industries. But Tasmania has not, meanwhile forest contractors are going out of business, forest workers are losing their jobs and native forests are being logged while we import New Zealand plantation timber products into Tasmania.

Mr Skillern said it is sad that despite ample evidence of major changes in world timber markets, the timber industry and its political friends refuse to change with the times.
Peter Skillern, Our Common Ground