The native-forest-logging boat is sinking. It’s old and leaky but the Government keeps burning out bilge pumps trying to keep it afloat. Yet another costly pump is about to be installed. An Industry Transition Taskforce (ITT) Mark 4, will be established to try to help logging workers deal with the ‘challenges’ they face. The Minister …
Many astute observers are starting to question the fires that have enveloped Victoria’s east since 2003. This may sound like a conspiracy theory but the evidence seems to be mounting. Many of these areas were deliberately left to burn for a day or two before fire-fighters were sent to attack them or that the back …
The native-forest-logging boat is sinking. It’s old and leaky but the Labor Government keeps burning out bilge pumps trying to keep it afloat. Yet another costly pump is about to be installed. An Industry Transition Taskforce (ITT) Mark 4, will be established to try to help logging workers deal with the ‘challenges’ they face. The …
For the last four years Tricia Caswell has been the State Director of the logging industry body, Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI). Having a female and an ex-ACF President singing the praises of the logging industry was a real boon for them, although she lost all credibility with many people. Caswell has now decided …
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) audits how well the DSE scrutinises logging contractors. Their audits have come under some criticism over the last four year so the EPA have appointed Sinclair Knight Mertz (SKM) to review how it does the audits. So SKM will check the toothless EPA checks of the monitoring by government foresters …
When John Thwaites tossed in the towel as Minister for Water, Environment, Climate Change and Plastic Bags (27th July), Gavin Jennings got his desk. But water will now be the responsibility of Tim Holding as Minister for Water. Jennings is a key player in the left faction. This could be good or bad, depending. He …
After three years as the new semi-corporate arm of the government logging agency, VicForests was going down the economic gurgler. For the first two years after its creation, VicForests was given an easy run with DSE picking up the tab for many costs, but year three was to see it ‘off the dole’ and making …
The Victorian Government classifies logging the bejeezuz out of killed or semi-scorched ash forests recovering from fire as ‘bushfire recovery’. As part of its ‘Bushfire Recovery Package’, it has handed over $34 million of our taxes to help the logging and woodchipping industries fast track so-called ‘salvage’ logging of ash at ten times sustainable rates.
The logging industry is currently in overdrive trying to make logging look like a positive effort in the fight against global warming. Forests are one of our greatest carbon stores. They have taken hundreds of years to amass the 700 -1,200 plus tonnes of carbon per hectare. Cutting them down only secures about 3 to …
Let’s clear the smoke on the claim that fire is as damaging as logging. Carbon is stored both above and below ground. Forest parts above ground lose roughly 800 tonnes per ha when logged and burnt. Using figures both Federal and State governments have been quoting in parliament, the recent fires sent less than 40 …
