Comments regarding Gunns and recent Federal funding for improved environmental management at Seaview (George River ) …
Firstly the ongoing efforts of the local community need to be acknowledged because without their consistent efforts over 20 years to make Gunns accountable for better management of this plantation nothing would have changed.
We now have a situation where large scale ecological restoration of kilometres of streamsides will take place over the 2,100 ha property.
In addition potentially hundreds of hectares of native forest may be protected, weed management programs will be developed, a trial organic plantation site has been established and chemical use will be notified to the general public via Gunns website.
Concerns that Gunns will not do the restoration work properly or misuse the money are unfounded because they will have to work in close consultation with local community representatives.
It needs to be noted that Gunns only recieved this grant because it was based on a management plan for the property developed by an independent environmental consultant as opposed to the usual situation where bare minimum standards required under the Forest Practices Code are all that is required.
The end result should be a model for more sustainable management of plantations in Tasmania and also a guide for agricultural properties which often have the worst examples of degraded waterways. It shows that if an economic base is provided to do the right thing it can be done. Ultimately it is the Government, not industry, which makes the rules and allocates resources to either the benefit or the detriment of the environment.
