After Mitsubishi announced it was considering not buying chips from old growth forests, Nippon (the company that buys East Gippsland’s woodchips) announced it was also reviewing its policy on taking old growth woodchips. Tasmania’s logging industry group, FIAT, claims that Mitsubishi had been “influenced by the economic vandalism and treachery of extremist environmental groups”. Old …
If a private land owner was to destroy native vegetation without a permit, they would be fined and forced to rehabilitate up to 15 times the same area that was destroyed. This is now part of the Native Vegetation Management Framework drawn up by The Department of Sustainability and Environment. But the department which is …
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE – what a misnomer!) approved the logging of a mapped and protected Superb Parrot Special Protection Zone. The 30 hectares logged at Grinters Ridge in the Barmah Forests was about 60% of the SPZ and about 15% of the total habitat that the bird has left. This parrot …
The newest kid on the parliamentary-hopefuls-block is a band of chest beating, ultra-rural, greenie-bashing blokes – shooters, loggers, 4WDers, and associated ilk (and their women supporters). Also colloquially known a rednecks. Their stated purpose is to do in the Greens. They are trying to strike fear into regional voters that the Greens holding the balance …
Australia is rapidly losing the capacity to carry out world-class wildlife research because of a dramatic decline in funding and loss of jobs for highly qualified scientists. Australian National University ecologist Professor David Lindenmayer said government funding cuts and retrenchments had forced Australian wildlife research “into meltdown”. He said despite alarming and continuing loss of …
To help with expansion plans of the Paperlinx (Australian Paper) mill in the Latrobe Valley, the Bracks government has committed $50 million towards a $150 million water recycling plant. The Morwell plant will recycle domestic and industrial water using basic treatment to take the smell out of the water before it is released. The stink …
What we see going on with Tasmanian woodchips could well set the scene for the rest of us battling to save our forests. When a 10% drop in orders for Tasmanian woodchips was announced, green groups were blamed. The reduction and subsequent job losses are squarely the result of green groups telling lies to overseas …
We’d like to sincerely congratulate Steve Bracks for his decision in late May to send 8,000 cattle out of the Alpine National Park. The mostly well-heeled farmers who like to portray themselves as “Mountain cattlemen”, predictably complained loudly despite still being able to graze 10,000 cattle in public land around the edges and getting $100 …
In March 2005, I traveled down to Melbourne to meet with John Thwaites advisor on forests. He seemed impressed by the economic arguments I presented but when it came to ecological issues – he wasn’t so interested. The very distinct impression given was that there’s only one species they worry about, and that’s the marginal …
Less than one week after the government says it can’t and won’t prosecute anyone over the Yalmy looting, a DSE media release came out saying they will get tough with firewood getters who don’t pay their $7 permit (royalty per tonne). The maximum penalty is one year in jail or $5,000 fine with equipment seized …
