Forestry

Robert Onfray. While researching for my three-part series on the truth behind the rainforest wars in New South Wales, there was a constant theme in the historical account of utilising one species of rainforest timber. While the cutting of hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) was undoubtedly very extensive in New South Wales, the scale of utilisation in Queensland was even more significant, and one of its primary uses was for butter boxes.

Peter Rutherford. After reading Mark Poynter’s brief critique of The Forest Wars and the David Lindenmayer response, a few points seemed to need further exploration ... Many SETA members and others working in the forest industry have been curious as to what appear to be strong connections that Mr Lindenmayer has with a number of media reporters, who regularly report his opinions on native forest issues.

Forestry Corporation has today reached an important milestone to explore the potential for windfarms within public pine plantations to contribute to the NSW transition to renewable energy … Neoen, Iberdrola Australia, TagEnergy and Mainstream Renewables Power and Someva Renewables joint venture have been awarded permits to investigate wind farm opportunities in some pine plantations…

The Allan Labor Government’s Forestry Transition Fund has helped an East Gippsland timber worker to successfully transition from working in a mill to running his own small business ... Riverview Installations installs flatpack kitchens, including those from Bunnings and Ikea, in Bairnsdale and the surrounding area. The business also helps homeowners to measure and design their own kitchen.

Mark Poynter, a fellow of the Institute of Foresters of Australia (now Forestry Australia) reviews The Forest Wars. The author, Professor David Lindenmayer, responds ... "The Forest Wars  purports to portray the ‘ugly truth’ about what happens in wood production forests": Poynter ... "As I point out in the book there are some key problems with the industry": Lindenmayer.

Miners and small prospectors fear that the state government's study into the future of Gippsland's forests could lock up swathes of forest and shackle mining as a driver of local economic growth and jobs. Both the Minerals Council of Australia and the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria (PMAV) are critical of mining's inability to have a say in the process.

Maureen Donnellon. Do you notice trees and wonder about their history, as I do? Trees can tell us so much about the early settlers, early buildings, the little schools, former church and hall sites, where the original homes were, the sites of the oldest houses, where the birds nest, the best shade ... Birchip has many significant trees in and around the district ...

Frank Batini. I have observed patterns of foliage scorch, some tree deaths and then recovery in the northern jarrah forest for 22 years. These can be readily explained in terms of soil depth, water-holding capacity, winter rainfall and summer drought ... My hypothesis is that this forest has repeatedly shown resilience to drought ... This is the “good news”, as opposed to the alarmism of other commentators.

The government’s own research on the north coast has confirmed that forestry does not affect koala numbers ... New data from field surveys of 1000 sites, trumpeted by the incoming Environment Minister and commenced a year ago, will not be released in time to stimulate or inform public submissions on the Koala Strategy ... The result is preordained.

When I started as a young forester in the late 1980s, I yearned for the opportunity to work in our native forests. While assessing a coupe to plan for a tree harvesting operation, I knew I was inheriting a forest structure that benefited from silvicultural practices adopted by foresters a few generations before me. Foresters aim to make the forest more productive by applying scientific principles to aid in the regeneration of the next crop of trees and to encourage the best growth of the retained trees. My responsibility was to continue that tradition for foresters a few generations ahead of me.

Local CFA brigades attended a fire at Walkers sawmill in Corryong on Friday night which destroyed electrical equipment, necessary for the production of kindling. Two on-site mill workers heard a series of popping noises, similar to gunshots, around 10.30pm before noticing flames coming from the main processing area.

Victorians have a landmark opportunity to help design the future of the state’s public land estate – which now includes more than 1.8 million hectares of forest previously used for timber harvesting. To inform the future use and management of Victoria’s forest estate the Allan Labor Government has established the Great Outdoors Taskforce…

Forestry Australia has welcomed the decision by the Federal Court to allow planned prescribed burns in the Strathbogie Forest ... Forestry Australia President Dr Michelle Freeman said prescribed  burning recognises Australia’s fire-dependent ecosystems, and fire-adapted flora and fauna that have evolved through the long tradition of indigenous caring for Country.

"The decision regarding the proposed Great Koala National Park does not belong to a single voice but should involve many voices, mostly from the Mid North Coast. The Labor Government is attempting to blindfold us. Rather than using its chance to engage in authentic discussion with the community, it chooses to undermine us by including carefully curated elitists pretending to be our community representatives": Michael Kemp MP ... A good point that needs to be spelt out in more detail.

“Under the bark of trees are powerful solutions”. This year’s  International Day of Forests celebrates the role of trees in providing powerful solutions for a better world.

About 40 salaried jobs at the Maryvale Mill will be gone by June as Opal moves to slash further positions across the company in a bid to stabilise its financial performance. The 40 are believed to be among about 220 salaried company-wide employees who will be made redundant, adding to the more than 300 workers who lost their jobs when Maryvale's white paper production plant was closed late last year.

Monique Dawson. Recent public commentary about the closure of VicForests has included numerous false and misleading claims.  VicForests knows there are individuals and organisations who are opposed to native timber harvesting who will be celebrating VicForests’ closure ... The most offensive category of false claims being made is the suggestion VicForests is “rogue” or a “cowboy agency”.

Walk out your front door and look down the street.   If you are in the regions or in suburbia, then you will look at a tall wooden pole that carries the cables that gives you electricity. Have you taken much notice of them?   Probably not, but the pole is native hardwood harvested from a native forest where, through the application of science, it was encouraged to grow that straight.   Timber power poles are selectively harvested from regrowth or working forests.

VicForests, the Victorian Government’s own forestry agency, is being treated deplorably as it braces for a June 30 shutdown ... Peter Walsh, Leader of The Nationals, said it seemed the government was intent on wiping VicForests from the history books.

A scientific survey is being carried out in the Perth Hills, near Mundaring. Scientists are seeking to better understand the health of the forest through the simple art of listening. Using the emerging science of eco-acoustics, researchers are monitoring forest soundscapes to better understand and benchmark ecosystem health.