Is Victoria’s native forestry industry worth it at $5 million a job?

The viability of Victoria’s government-owned native forestry business has been thrown into doubt by a high-level analysis concluding it takes more than $5 million of investment in roads, machinery and equipment to create a single timber job.  A confidential report by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers warns VicForests is “not generating an appropriate return” to meet its stated objectives, including maximising its contribution to the …

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Book review – Flying Dinosaurs: How fearsome reptiles became birds

From the Wombat Forestcare Newsletter – June. With thanks to Tanya Loos “As you read this, an estimated 400 billion individual feathered dinosaurs, of 10,000 species, can be found on earth, in almost every habitable environment. You need only step outside and look up into the trees and the wide blue skies to find them.” …

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Victorian forests worth more as national park than timber

This ANU report proves the logging industry is worth 1/70th what the forests produce in water value. Professor David Lindenmayer said plainly “This is really dumb economics…” Logging in the central highlands generated a tiny $29 per hectare of additional net economic activity in 2013-14. That compares to a $2,023 per hectare contribution to the …

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Central Highlands carbon storage worth more than logging

Victoria’s Central Highlands’ forests would potentially generate more income for the state if they were permanently preserved to store carbon rather than logged, according to a major study. A detailed analysis using a United Nations’ system of environmental and economic accounting concludes the net economic contribution from forestry in the area is relatively minor compared to the contribution to the state’s water supply, tourism …

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Mill increases native reliance

Environmental organisation, Friends of the Earth has raised concerns regarding the logging and sale of plantation land in the Fernbank region. The bluegum plantations were established between 2005 and 2009 by Macquarie Bank in conjunction with Midway Plantations. The plantations were planted largely to meet the demands of a new Bleached Pulp Facility at Maryvale. …

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VicForests takes credit for volunteer scientists’ work

UPDATED: VicForests claim spin doesn’t steal credit from GECO A community group of citizen scientists has become incensed following the release of a statement by VicForests that appears to claim their work for its own. A Gippsland-based group of citizen scientists claim VicForests has attempted to take credit for its work in protecting the habitats …

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Call To End Special Treatment For The Logging Industry

Victorian conservationists who’ve saved a colony of threatened Greater Gliders from loggers say the latest victory is further evidence the Federal Government should tear up the Regional Forestry Agreements, which exempt native forest logging from national environmental law. A group led by the Goongerah Environment Centre discovered the Gliders in April, on a night-time survey of …

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Regional Forest Agreements: Nice idea but total failure!

On Wednesday this week, the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) launched a new report entitled Regional Forest Agreements in NSW. Have they achieved their aims? In short, the answer is no, far from it, writes Dr Ois√≠n Sweeney. REGIONAL FOREST Agreements (RFAs) are deals between the Commonwealth and State governments that allow for logging in public native forests. There …

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