Economy
The old forest industry on steroids
So the Forest and Forest Industry Council has released an old report into the forest industry.
They have been showing us the air freshener thing with a sign “The New Forest Industry” under it for a year or so now but what does it all mean.
To hear Llewie on the radio one would have no idea. Bumbling and stumbling as usual he said nothing. Which is usual.
Having looked at it one thing is obvious . It was written a long time ago. For one it puts the price of the pulp mill at $1.4 Million , a little dated one would suggest.
The reason I call it the “Old Forest Industry on Steroids” is that they are planning to ramp up logging by almost double the current figure.
The figures for 2008/9 are a total of 6,372,000 cubic metres of woodfibre removed from the forest.
By 2020 they are planning to remove 11,663,000 cubic metres of woodfibre from the forests.
The new part is:
They want to build 3 Power stations of 30 Megawatts each and one pellet fuel plant that combined will consume 2,930,000 tonnes of biomass.
So we will have a 183% Increase in the wood products removed from our forests.
That would mean that we would need 1065 log truck movements a day if we only used 30 tonne log trucks, no wonder they want 4 axle B Doubles.
So folks.
That is the plan, unfortunately they are about a year too late, the spanner in the works of the plan is that.
-The global wood fibre market has collapsed.
-Technology ( I Pads, etc) are about to put a major hole in the paper market.
-The clients are demanding FSC certification which gives the community much more of a say.
All throughout the document are references to “Removing impediments to the establishment of more plantations”.” Forcing Local Governments to come into line with State Government policies” ” BiPartisan Support for the Tasmanian RFA review”
More Plantations to be established mainly on cleared and farmland but we can already see the results of those old policies in the PAL and loss of amenity in our rural communities.
Pollution of our air and waterways and sedimentation in the rivers.
I can only assume it is a vague attempt to get vague waffling politicians elected.
There are a couple of good ideas one being the establishment of an engineered lumber beam factory, making plywood from plantation veneers and 3 new sawmills to cut plantation hardwood.
So some light but the tunnel just got a lot longer.
What Llewellyn says, more comments HERE
Elsewhere …
Plan to ensure viability of Tasmania’s forestry industry launched
BY RACHEL WILLIAMS
02 Feb, 2010 12:42 PM
The Tasmanian forest industry has outlined a plan that includes $2.1 billion of private investment to ensure its future viability and success.
The New Forest Industry Plan aims to double to $4 billion the annual contribution the industry makes to the state’s economy each year and increase jobs in the sector by up to 1000.
The blueprint to guide the industry through a major change in resource _ from native forest to more plantations _ included a $365 million investment in new harvesting and transport machinery, a $225 million engineered strand lumber mill and a $25 million wood pellet plant.
Those at the plan’s launch were told that there should be no environmental forest debate any longer because a fair balance had been struck.
“The forest resource is well managed and it is now time to look at the economical and social sustainability,” Forest Industries Association of Tasmania chief executive Terry Edwards said.
Full story and reaction in tomorrow’s The Examiner.