Forestry burns Tasmania … and Labor

Tim Morris

The Tasmanian Greens today accused the Bartlett Labor Government of putting the interests of the forest industry before the health of Tasmanians, after the east coast of Tasmania was today bathed in smoke from a number of so-called regeneration burns that were lit up by Forestry Tasmania yesterday, and which are continuing to smoulder today.

Greens Member for Lyons Tim Morris MP, who is currently in St Helens on Tasmania’s east coast, said the township has been blanketed by high-intensity woodsmoke from Forestry Tasmania’s fires, charterboats based in St Helens have been cancelled due to a lack of visibility caused by the smoke, and Asthma Tasmania has now issued a respiratory alert for the entire North-East region.

Forestry Tasmania’s annual burning season is damaging Tasmania’s economy and reputation, as well as the health of all Tasmanians, and they must cease this archaic practice, said Mr Morris.

These burn-offs are completely unnecessary and are only carried out by Forestry Tasmania to save money.

“David Bartlett and his Labor Party are continuing to allow Forestry Tasmania to damage the respiratory health of all Tasmanians. I am calling on Tasmanians to remember this fact when they cast their vote, that for safe clean water it is safe to vote Green this Saturday,” said Mr Morris.

Angelika Allen

Subject: Complaint 17-3-2010 – re forest burns producing air pollution.

Mountain almost invisible from smoke ie down to 100m in Patersonia. Smoke coming from burns across Launceston to Patersonia. I have full mask on but still getting headaches with irritated airways and heart rate up and have to get out. 4 burns on FPA website yesterday west of Launceston and another high- intensity FIAT burn to the west of those fires listed for today.
Strong north-westerly winds and smoke++ spreading down to east coast by mid morning.

Clive Stott

Forestry Tasmania has no regards for people’s health and well-being or our emenity. They lit a burn today (17/3/10)in the N/W when 3 other were still burning in the N/W and while the wind direction was predicted to be from N/W to W. People up the north are in big trouble as they try to breathe. One person has had to vacate their home to try and find shelter.

We are told they are using best practice. Pity help us if we get a pulp mill on top of this lot!

The attached indicative air monitoring figures from around the state shows the extent of our pollution. The NEPM Standard for PM10 daily averaged is 50ug/m3 and the reported PM2.5 daily average figure is 25ug/m3. Note the red figures.

P1000789 Exter is under the smoke.

P1000805 Launceston is not visible.

What is our Labor government doing about this? Nothing!
What is our Liberal government doing about this? Nothing!
What is Environmental Health doing about this? Nothing!
What is Michelle O’Byrne MP who is responsible for Air doing about this? Nothing!

Clive Stott, cleanair@cleanairtas.com
Grindelwald

Phil Lohrey Evandale

Tourists were luckier than locals in Lilydale today. They might have escaped the blanket of smoke by heading north for Bass Strait or west across the Batman Bridge. Perhaps readers can let us know. In any case, travellers copped it in the eyes, felt it in the nose and tasted it if they bothered to stop in Lilydale. The rest of us stayed indoors when we could.

These pics were taken at 10 o’clock this morning, 17 March. You can just make out the summit of Mount Arthur, perhaps 6 or 7 kilometres from the post office as the crow flies. That is, if crows are silly enough to fly on days like this. By 1pm, the smoke began to lift visibly. By mid afternoon, a weak yellow-orange sun poked through.

Makes you wonder how extensive the smoke blanket. Would love to see aerial or satellite images. Wherever you are putting up with this, more photos from readers would be great to see on TT. Send us all a postcard. Send photos to pollies and the media. Let everyone know the fallout from so called world’s best practice in forestry. There’s only one thing more foul in the air (unless you’ve copped some Atrazine today). You guessed it. Our government’s putrid election campaign.

From the government:

http://www.fpa.tas.gov.au/index.php?id=140
Smoke management from Planned Burns

How will the smoke management guidelines be implemented?

The guidelines and strategy will be applied in 2009 to burns conducted as part of a forest harvesting or regeneration operation and to hazard reduction and ecological management burns conducted by the Parks and Wildlife Service. The outcomes will be monitored and the results will be used to further refine the guidelines and the strategy.

The EPA and FPA are working with the Tasmania Fire Service and with representatives of local government and the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association to encourage the application of the guidelines to all other burns and with a view to encouraging their future participation in the mechanism for the coordination of planned burns.

The FPA is primarily responsible for regulating the planning and conduct of burning activities through conditions placed on forest practices plans.
The EPA will continue to be responsible for monitoring smoke emissions and reporting against the NEPM standards. Potential breaches of forest practice plans or legislation will be investigated and serious breaches will be subject to action under the relevant legislation.

What can I do if I have an enquiry or a complaint about smoke management?

Complaints or information about smoke should be directed where possible to the land manager responsible for the burn.

Advice on the potential health impacts of smoke exposure can be obtained from the Environmental Health Service Unit, Department of Health and Human Services. A fact sheet about “Smoke from Bushfires and Planned Burning” is available.

Complaints relating to non-forestry burns should be lodged with the EPA (telephone 1800 005 171). Complaints relating to forestry burns should be lodged with the FPA by filling in an online form at here, completing and returning the paper form here or calling 62337966.

Complaints will be collated and used to investigate compliance with the guidelines and strategy.

Information about planned forestry burns is available from the website www.plannedburnstas.com.au, which is updated daily during the burning season.

Information about planned burns conducted by the Parks and Wildlife Service is available from the website http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=908, which is updated daily during the burning season.

A copy of the Forest Industry Standard for Prescribed Burning 2009 can be downloaded here (1,496KB)