We are/were in control: Bob Gordon, Adrian Kloeden, Paul Lennon. ABC pic
Briefing Notes:-
FORESTRY TASMANIA – FAILED AGENCY
A legacy of financial, environmental, and public forest resource mismanagement
Extracts:
Pg 41; “Under the combination of the Forestry and GBE Acts, Forestry Tasmania in fact appears to be under no obligation to permit other businesses to operate on State forest, and does not appear to have clear guidelines for engaging with others who wish to use State forests. For example, it is not clear if Forestry Tasmania has drawn up eligibility criteria and obligations required to obtain a license or permit – without which it is difficult to ensure that the process of granting licenses, permits, or leases is transparent and fair. Indeed, researchers for this review heard repeated concerns that access to the economic benefits of State forests is not available to those who express positions critical of existing forest practices or policy, Forestry Tasmania, or Gunns Ltd.
• Forest contractors said that critics will be given bad coupes or will be the first to be told that no coupes are available
• Tourism operators said that expressing criticism would jeopardize getting a new license or renewing an existing one
Some interviewees who reported bad experiences said that they and their businesses had no trouble until they “made the mistake” of criticising forestry practices, policy or players”
Pg 47; “2. At the government body level, bureaucratic and policy power is skewed towards Forestry Tasmania.
Between its legislatively mandated exclusive management and control of the State forest resource, its role as the setter of sustainable forest management policy on that resource, and its control over the proceeds from that resource, and its strong public relations profile, Forestry Tasmania wields exceptional power in the bureaucratic and policy environment. As a consequence, knowledgeable observers said, the corporation appears to at least attempt to dominate many government settings, including scientific meetings – in some cases effectively…. More broadly, Forestry Tasmania representatives sometimes appear to treat the corporation, rather than the Tasmanian public, as the owner of Tasmania’s forests – a characterization not just acknowledged, but often actually volunteered by other forestry agencies.
As one senior forestry-related figure put it, “Forestry Tasmania’s attitude is ‘They’re our forests, and we’ll tell you what we’re going to do with them. And if the public disagrees, the public is wrong’.”
• Download the Briefing Notes here: Forestry_Tasmania_Briefing_Notes_March_2012.docx
First published: 2012-03-20 04:52 AM
