The spotlight is shining on the collapsed Gunns, its former chairman John Gay, and the Tasmanian Government’s machinations to secure a pulpmill at all costs. But the pivotal role of successive Commonwealth Governments remains in darkness. Unravelling the part the Commonwealth Government has played in the saga is essential for resolving Tasmania’s forest conflict and …
GOVERNMENTS have failed the mighty river, writes LOUISE CRISP The big spring releases from Jindabyne Dam into the Snowy River will capture the media’s attention this week. Snowy Hydro Ltd will allow up to 84 gigalitres to flow down the Snowy River during the next two weeks. Although they are much reduced, the spring releases …
AFTER a 17-month battle with the Baillieu government, the environment movement has received a key document that underpinned the controversial decision to return cattle to the Alpine National Park. But the document, it turns out, is rather curious. The released academic paper – one of two scientific reviews the government relied on to conclude that …
A BOGUS quote attributed to a major university by a key environment group is “no problem”, the university says. Planet Ark had released a quote claiming logging products are carbon-friendly to build with, complete with a reference to an RMIT study. But the quote: “Substituting wood products from well managed forests and plantations for carbon …
THE Baillieu government will argue the Commonwealth acted outside its jurisdiction when it blocked a controversial cattle grazing trial in the Alpine National Park in a long-awaited court challenge. The state government is seeking to overturn a decision by federal Environment Minister Tony Burke that the trial is ”clearly unacceptable” under national environment laws due …
THE man charged with monitoring the state government’s response to the Black Saturday royal commission says a target to burn 5 per cent of Victoria’s public land every year to ease bushfire risk must be reconsidered. In his final report Bushfire Royal Commission Implementation Monitor Neil Comrie says the state’s burning program should instead focus …
The economy’s going to grow at 3 per cent this year and the Budget surplus is to grow over time. It’s all grow, grow, grow, even in these straitened times. There’s a pie chart in the Federal Budget overview that shows “where taxpayer money is spent”. A big slice of this luscious pie goes to …
Perhaps it is a pity that so many Australians think of our parks, gardens, streetscapes and urban landscapes only in terms of their aesthetics. While green spaces are beautiful and decorative, these attributes can mask the many functions vegetation serves in cities, to the point where its economic, social and environmental benefits are overlooked. Yes, …
Losses to life and property from unplanned fires (wildfires) are forecast to increase because of population growth in peri-urban areas and climate change. In response, there have been moves to increase fuel reduction—clearing, prescribed burning, biomass removal and grazing—to afford greater protection to peri-urban communities in fire-prone regions. But how effective are these measures? Severe …
As $45 million of your taxes is about to be divvied up for broke loggers, a worrying precedent has come to light that raises serious questions about this bailout of a struggling industry. Attempts by successive federal governments to pay businesses out of the native forest industry in Tasmania have failed to meet basic benchmarks …
