Economy
Lapoinya: The Bulldozers move in …
Satire: Karl Stevens
• ABC: Man arrested as activists protest against logging at Lapoinya in Tasmania’s north-west
TUESDAY, January 19, 2016 …
• Andrea Dawkins MP, Greens Member for Bass Media Release: Draconian New Protest Laws Used at Lapoinya
More than 70 concerned residents and community members gathered to stand up for the Lapoinya forest, to protest the roading and forestry operations.
We have seen the government’s draconian new laws in action for the first time today.
A local anaesthetist was arrested and charged under the government’s new protest laws at Lapoinya, and a local councillor was fined. This is despite Minister Harriss’ claims these laws would “protect ‘mum and dad’ type protestors.”*
The residents of Lapoinya are hardly radicals. They’re a concerned community group who have been forced to protest forestry operations because the government has ignored their pleas.
Senator Whish-Wilson and I were proud to stand alongside the people of Lapoinya.
This is a community who care deeply for this forest for its intrinsic value. They value the forest for its social and environmental worth, not just the small change the government hope to recoup.
* http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/releases/protecting_workers_from_radical_protesters
• Bill Laurance, The Conversation: Five trends that will define the world’s forests in 2016 The past year has been a momentous time for the world’s forests, with both good and bad news. Fasten your seat belts, because 2016 promises to be another roller-coaster ride. Here I hightlight five factors that could have a big impact on forests this year. For further discussion, see this insightful analysis by environmental journalist Rhett Butler …
• Richard Browne in Comments: A freshwater crayfish poacher can be fined $10,000 or jail for taking these endangered animals from their habitat, yet this 3rd world Govt can allow FT to go in and destroy them and all the other endangered animals that live there. Bloody Hypocrites.
MONDAY, January 18, 2016 …
• Dr Frank Nicklason:
• Dear Editor,
A few days ago Premier Will Hodgman rejected a last minute appeal from the Forest of Lapoinya Action Group (FLAG) to use his executive powers to prevent the clearfelling of a publicly owned forest in the North West of Tasmania.
FLAG had assembled detailed and credible environmental, economic and social reasons why this forest should be spared from Forestry Tasmania’s (FT) clearfell/burn regime. The group is not opposed to ecologically sustainable harvest in this forest.
A bid by the group to buy the proposed coupe was denied outright by Forestry Minister Paul Harriss.
In his letter of rejection Mr Hodgman made at least two claims which require clarification. Firstly, Mr Hodgman states that the sawlogs and peeler logs “are required by NW mills”. Mr Hodgman is aware that the peeler logs are to be supplied to Ta Ann Tasmania (TAT). Ta Ann is owned by a parent company which has been described as “one of the most corrupt Asian timber families”. How TAT came to achieve a long-term supply contract for peeler logs with FT is another unedifying episode in the long-running Tasmanian forestry saga.
Secondly, Mr Hodgman believes the advice of Minister Harriss that the clearfelling of the Lapoinya forest “will be profitable”. It seems unlikely in the extreme that the Tasmanian public will be provided with the accounts which would verify of refute this claim.
Frank Nicklason,
North Hobart
• John Hawkins in Comments: TGC #31, For a change let me ask you a Question: Which Minister in any Tasmanian Government past or present has been a standout out as being on top of his given portfolio. Then explain to us all how this is so and why? NB you are not allowed to site money in the freezer, a house at Broadmarsh or $50 million to a business from Sarawak.
• Robert Vincin, founding member of Kyoto Protocol, in Comments: The serious removal of stored carbon from the forest (en Toto) coupled with perpetual CO2 CH4 release from the disturbed soil UNFCCC 100 year offset accounting must be to State Government account. Add to this the inability to re-grow a full forest and with wash of remaining soil in UN CO2 accounting the wholesale income of timber will not cover total soon to be applied UNFCCC deficit! There seems no accounting for loss disturbance fauna and essential microbes that maintained balance. Robert Vincin, A founding member of Kyoto Protocol (Appointed by UN USG 96-99).
• Stewart Hoyt for FLAG …
Please be advised there will be a community protest rally in Lapoinya tomorrow between 11 and 1:30 PM on the Lapoinya Road entrance to the Pine Plantation access to the disputed Lapoinya Forest.
Download the flyer with more details:
Today at …
6AM Forestry Tasmania field officers arrived and began survey and signage work
7AM Contractors unloaded a bulldozer and excavator for roading into the Coupe.
7AM Police presence arrived and stationed at the entrance on Lapoinya road
8:30 AM FLAG spokesperson Stewart Hoyt met with FT officers and Tas Police at the entrance to the coupe to alert them to tomorrows protest action.
SUNDAY, January 17, 2016 …
Stewart Hoyt, convenor for Forests of Lapoinya Action Group (FLAG)
Premier declares his support for the destruction of the Lapoinya Forest
After 35 days and 35,000 signatures to a petition to stop the clear-felling of a 49 hectare local forest in Lapoinya, the Premier of Tasmania, Will Hodgman , has declared his support for its destruction …
Despite requests to buy or lease the Coupe
Despite the lack of compliance with international forest product certification bodies (FSC)
Despite the erosion and destruction of habitat for threatened species such as the Tasmanian Devil, Spotted Quoll and the Giant Freshwater Crayfish
Despite appeals to state and national government Environment Ministers
Despite direct appeals to the Federal Threatened Species Minister
Despite appeals by flora and fauna experts
Despite appeals by local residents and businesses
Despite appeals from economists detailing financial loss
All has fallen on deaf ears. Within 72 hours of the Premier’s announcement, Forestry Tasmania’s contractors are scheduled to enter the coup in preparation for clear-felling procedures.
This sad state of affairs persists throughout Tasmanian native forests due to the insistence of the state owned business Forestry Tasmania, that the only way to deal with native forests is to clear-fell, take a bit and incinerate the rest and convert the now sterilized habitat to one or two favoured species. Plantation by another name.
The Premier, Will Hodgman has been erroneously misinformed by his advisors in the following matters:
FICTION: “Forestry Tasmania has gone to great lengths to engage with the local community and to identify and protect conservation values on FD053A”;
FACT: Forestry Tasmania has never contacted the community, they only engage if contacted first.
FLAG had to engage flora and experts to oversight cursory investigations by Forestry Tasmania after finding numerous breaches of their own Code of Practice. They ask us for our science, they do not initiate.
FACT: “almost half of the 92 hectare coupe will be set aside – only 49 hectares will be harvested”;
MISLEADING: The coupe is a headwater of steep sided gullies and ravines half of which is too dangerous to clear fell. Oversight by the community identified and demanded protection for unmapped streams and protected threatened species resulting in only a few hectares withdrawn.
FICTION: “contrary to the claims you have been making, I am advised by the Chief Executive of Forestry Tasmania that the planned harvest will be profitable.”
FACT: Hard and published evidence indicates there will be no cash profit. Since when has Forestry ever been profitable? Its record speaks for itself.
FICTION: “the sawlogs and peelers are required to meet FT’s contracted supply obligations to North West mills;”
FACT: Supply obligations are not required from this coupe as Forestry Tasmania have over 10,000 hectares schedule to log this year they won’t even get to. As well, FT maintain contingency coupes ready to go.
CONCLUSION
The Lapoinya Forest has tragically been chosen by the current state government as a test case in a cynical exercise of political power over a small Tasmanian community.
This community who, through science, economics and social research have proven its little local native forest contains extraordinary high conservation habitats for rare, threatened and endangered Tasmanian species.
We fear the government plans new forest wars. We fear this government has chosen our community as its first battleground. We fear for all Tasmanians in the coming dark smoke-palled days.
• Stewart Hoyt’s letters to Premier Will Hodgman …
5th January 2016
Premier, Will Hodgman MP Office of the Premier Level 11 15 Murray St. Hobart 7000
Dear Premier Will Hodgman MP,
I write again to urge you to respond to your community in Lapoinya after 25 days of silence regards our letter of 11 December 2016.
You are the last recourse as Premier. All other avenues of appeal have been exhausted when on December 14 Forestry Tasmania gave official notice to stakeholders of their intent to clear-fell and burn FD053a over the objections of the community here. The objections based on science, economics and FSC values were rejected.
Mr Premier, there are no administrative or appeal procedures left in this matter as the only grievance procedure allowed for in cases like Lapoinya was withdrawn by your government with the repeal of the Tasmanian Forest Agreement. Your government has made no allowance since.
It therefore falls to you Mr Premier, in instances of lack of governance, that you must bear the burden of appeal.
We urge you to use your executive powers to urgently stop the roading and clear-felling of FD 053a and review the matter in consultation with this community.
As a democratic community where there is a lack of governance and lack of natural justice regards high conservation value forests in harvest production zones, there are times where communities have no other recourse but to protest and/or seek some form of legal action when appeals for leadership and natural justice go unanswered.
Again Mr Premier we ask you to personally make contact with this community in an endeavour to resolve the impasse created by the lack of process for which your government must take responsibility.
I sincerely request a reply as acknowledgement of your consideration of the issues and requests addressed in this letter.
Yours sincerely,
Stewart Hoyt
Convenor for Forests of Lapoinya Action Group (FLAG)
11 December 2015
Premier, Will Hodgman MP Office of the Premier Level 11 15 Murray St. Hobart 7000
Re: Minister for Resources Presides Over the Bullying of Lapoinya Delegation
It is not without due consideration, consultation and days of reflection that I write you regarding the conduct of your Minister of Resources Paul Harriss. It is with great concern that the conduct of our meeting on Thursday 3rd of December at Minister Harriss’s offices at 15 Murray St. Hobart was unacceptable.
This much anticipated meeting was attended by Abbey Duncan who flew in from Melbourne, Matthew Massey, working locally and Barbara and Stewart Hoyt, Lapoinya. The Minister was attended by two advisors introduced only as Kim and Adrian. Stewart opened thanking the Minister for his time and was immediately interrupted by Advisor Kim then backed up by Advisor Adrian, saying we had been rude to the Minister and that it was inappropriate and contentious to talk to the media about the meeting, referring to ABC Rick Eaves radio report played two days before. The Advisors took control of the meeting and directed, lectured, hectored, fielded or deflected, defused or denigrated, denied or disingenuously asked irrelevant questions they knew the answers to. It was not a meeting with the Minister. It was a confrontation with the Minister’s Advisors while the Minister looked on and took the occasional note. The meeting was conducted in an adversarial manner much as one would hear in Parliament. The focus was on Stewart and the other members of our delegation were mostly ignored. In all, it was an extremely sad to realize that our elected government’s Minister saw fit to preside and facilitate a farce whose sole objective was to denigrate and overwhelm a delegation from a rural Tasmanian community.
We were shocked by the derisive and dismissive attitude of the Minister’s Advisors in his presence in regards to FSC accreditation. We were confounded by the Ministers repeated reference to a defunct Act (Tasmanian Forest Agreement) as justification that EVERYONE is onside (Labor, Greens, Liberals) and that Lapoinya residents are offside and self-interested.
We found the Minister and his advisors as very old school and out of sync with current thinking as regards FSC and native forests of high conservation value, and almost medieval as regards dealing appropriately and respectfully with community delegations.
There appears to be a huge disconnect between where Forestry Tasmania appears to be heading and the position taken by the Minister and his advisors. This disconnect was glaringly evident on Friday 4th December at the GBE Estimates Committee hearings when FT Chairman Bob Annells stated that FT needs to address three key issues as thrown up by the FSC auditors: the clear felling of old growth native forests, threatened species habitat protection and better identification of High Conservation Value (HCV ) forests. The clear-felling of Lapoinya encompasses all these issues.
Questions to the Premier
Given the disrespect and the irrefutable science and economics and mixed messages about FSC approval:
Does your government condone institutional workplace bullying as a legitimate political tool?
Is the Lapoinya community being targeted for daring to speak out on issues of high conservation values?
What is your governments’ actual position regards attaining Forest Stewardship Certification?
I place myself at your convenience and personal contact or an appointment with you or your delegate,(excluding persons from the office of the Minister for Resources,) would be appreciated to urgently negotiate a way forward to resolve the issue of clear-felling Lapoinya FD053a.
I sincerely request a reply as acknowledgement of your consideration of the issues and questions addressed in this letter.
Yours sincerely,
Stewart Hoyt
Convenor for Forests of Lapoinya Action Group (FLAG)
• Premier Will Hodgman’s reply …
Stewart
Thank you for the emails regarding the meeting with the Minister for Resources, Paul Harriss MP to request the removal of the Lapoinya coupe FD053A from Forestry Tasmania’s harvesting schedule. I note, but do not accept, your complaints about the conduct of the meeting.
I am advised by the Minister that he gave you and the other members of your delegation a fair hearing and that he advised you both personally and in writing that he could not agree to your request.
With regard to the tone of your discussions, the Minister advises that he and his staff did probe a number of the claims advanced by the delegation. That is an appropriate interaction in any such meeting.
In relation to these claims, I am advised that the facts are these:
* the Lapoinya coupe FD053A has been harvested previously – it is not pristine old growth;
* the coupe is right next door to the 290 ha Flowerdale River Reserve, which is permanently protected and available for community use at any time;
* Forestry Tasmania has gone to great lengths to engage with the local community and to identify and protect conservation values on FD053A;
* almost half of the 92 hectare coupe will be set aside – only 49 hectares will be harvested;
* the sawlogs and peelers are required to meet FT’s contracted supply obligations to North West mills; and
* contrary to the claims you have been making, I am advised by the Chief Executive of Forestry Tasmania that the planned harvest will be profitable.
I also note that this particular coupe was not identified for protection by any Green or environmental group during the so-called forest “peace deal” process.
My Government is committed to an appropriate balance between protecting the environment and supporting job-creating industries such as forestry. In this particular case, while I understand the passion of the Friends of Lapoinya Action Group, on the basis of the facts outlined above I support the Minister’s decision not to intervene.
Thank you once again for writing to me on behalf of FLAG about these matters.
Yours sincerely,
Hon Will Hodgman MP,
Premier
Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Minister for Sport and Recreation Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Level 11 15 Murray Street HOBART TAS 7000 Australia GPO Box 123 HOBART TAS 7001 Australia.
FRIDAY, January 15, 2016 …
Dear Friends of Lapoinya,
The bulldozers are arriving on Monday 18th January to start the roading that will enable the destruction of this unique habitat and wildlife corridor.
That such environmental vandalism can occur in 2016 says much about Tasmania and its government’s approach to nature. Since settlement, Australia has the highest rate of species extinction globally – and when you consider the attitude of our government, it is easy to understand why.
For example, Forestry Tasmania (a Government Business Enterprise) wants to log Bruny Island, a tourist and bird-watcher’s paradise near Hobart, that is a migratory home to one of the world’s rarest and most endangered species, the Orange-Bellied Parrot, Neophema chrysogaster.
The parrot needs the undisturbed hollows in old logs for nesting that would be destroyed in a clear fell. The logging has not yet happened only due to national and international uproar:
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=5136
In Lapoinya too, old logs provide burrows for the critically endangered Tasmanian Devil, the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial, that is subject to a facial cancer that has a mortality rate of more than 90% in some areas:
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=387
In 2015, the Devil was declared the Tasmanian State emblem by proclamation in the government gazette, while the same government continues to promote the erosion of its habitat by subsidising loss-making Forestry Tasmania.
Such ignorance is unfortunately a Tasmanian attribute. The Neanderthals that are in charge of this precious heritage do not see trees, but a resource to be exploited – at a loss – to the economy, to the environment and to future generations.
Thank you all for you help, but sadly it appears to have been in vain.
Mike
Michael Buky started This Petition on CommunityRun. If there’s an issue close to your heart that you’d like to campaign on, you can start your campaign here:
https://www.communityrun.org/start-a-petition?source=petition_email_footer
• Anne in Comments: The people of Lapoinya plan as a community to fight, directly if necessary, for as long as possible. They still need our help though. At the moment XXXX (is) running Peaceful Community Protest training. We have trained around 40 Lapoinya locals, and are planning more training days in Launceston, Hobart and at the Rainbow Gathering currently at Wilmot. If anyone has any experience at all in this training and would be willing to help, please let me know. As well as Direct Action, initially by locals and as things continue by anyone willing to support their stand, there will also be vigils on private land along Nelsons Rd. These vigils will be peaceful, non arrestible, colourful and continual. Any help manning these vigils, even a day visit, would be gratefully appreciated by FLAG …
• Pete Godfrey in Comments: #13 Will Hodgman, you may like to tell us something. You state that FT have gone to great lengths to engage with the community. I have a few questions …
• Brenda Rosser in Comments: A message to all the individuals involved in the destruction of forests: If you really believe that profits are more important than our home (our living environment) then hold your breath while you count your money. We have a complete breakdown of governance in Tasmania. To promote this destruction in the context of our abrupt climate change, which now appears to be runaway in its nature…. I believe that those responsible for such decisions are the embodiment of pure evil. If there’s any hope left, here’s how we can have forestry and agriculture and a healthy environment: http://agendagotsch.com
• Anne Layton-Bennett in Comments: Dear Will, Thanks for your email in reply to mine expressing concerns about the decision to log the coupe known as Lapoinya. Given the number of concerned Tasmanians – and probably Australians – who have contacted you and your office about this issue, it cannot have escaped your notice that regardless of whether or not the area has been logged before, or that it was not necessarily identified as an area to be protected in the peace deal that your government so disappointingly chose to repeal, the Lapoinya coupe is invaluable due to its habitat for protected species. Successive governments have allocated millions of dollars of public money towards ensuring the Tasmanian devil is saved from the brink of extinction in the wild. Tasmania is also blessed to have stewardship of the unique giant freshwater crayfish, and the Tasmanian wedgetailed eagle – to name but three of the island’s fauna and flora that are under serious threat from the decision to log Lapoinya. It has been clearly identifed by wildlife experts that these species cannot live sustainably in habitat that has been disturbed through industrial logging …