Mood:  accident prone

Picture: Australian PM John Howard peers into the reactor at Lucas Heights. Will Australia like the USA be promoting unsafe nuke energy in South East Asia?

Here is a story that senior writer Marian Wilkinson of Sydney Morning Herald reported from Darwin APEC energy minister's conference yesterday 30th May 2007 but it only appeared on the web (!?) not our press version (reproduced in full below).

We telephoned her about this and apparently there was lack of space. But first her pithy story builds on another by the competition here a week earlier from Nigel Wilson, 15 years in that role:

The Herald ran another story to the Darwin fracas 30 May 07 instead about Morris Iemma repudiating John Howard's nuclear plans

Advice found on axing state bans on nuclear - National - smh.com.au

[which is funny because it runs in the press but is missing from the web based text index for 30 May. But a bit of googling throws it up here for a different date. Advice found on axing state bans on nuclear - Sydney Morning Herald - 29 May 2007. The googling is guess work because the article is actually printed under the headline "Bid to overturn nuclear ban" bottom right page 6. ]

Whatever the confused (deliberate or otherwise) Herald indexing, the issue of nuclear energy expansion in Australia was the question time strategy it seems in both NSW and State Parliament. Seems its not just Premier Iemma and Opposition leader Rudd who will fight the nuke expansion plans on the beaches: Singapore are obviously very alarmed at the lack of safety implicit in the sleep walk to nuclear proliferation by Vietnam and Indonesian governments. But what about Australia's role in our neighbours' planning? We would be selling the raw materials and probably much technical support out of Lucas Heights reactor, do yer think? Is the Pope a Catholic? Does the bore hole ooze hot mud (ie a disaster in Indonesia recently)?

As explained to journo Wilkinson we see one alternative future like this on a 5 or 10 year horizon:

- USA promotes missile defense system vis a vis Nth Korea, Iran, China leveraging support of Japan, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan and likely others.

-  An arms race to prevent USA first strike capacity (via foolproof shield) ensues.

- Tensions rise. Allies of the USA feel the need for a nuke weapon deterrent of their own, as Japan is flirting with right now.

- Australia's PM seeks nuclear energy dual use capacity in order to prepare for this strategic security possibility.

- Somewhere along the line someone makes a human error or comparatively minor clashes are exagerated like the precursor to the Vietnam War, and a nuclear weapon is launched by someone.

- Apocalypse. Do not collect, do not pass go. Game over.

No wonder Singapore are scared about this kind of future, even likelihood under a Howard Bush style regime of the future.

We tipped off some others like MP Peter Garrett and Senator Bob Brown's office about this report of diplomatic rage up in Darwin, and here is the rather scary story in full:

http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2007/05/29/1180205251031.html

Asia-Pacific nuclear authority plan scuttled after safety debate

Date: May 30 2007

Marian Wilkinson in Darwin

A plan to set up a regional nuclear safeguards authority for the Asia Pacific has been ditched after an intense debate at the APEC energy ministers conference in Darwin which centered on the importance of nuclear safety.

The proposal was dropped from the final declaration of the conference, despite being included in earlier drafts. But the Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, denied there had been a "bitter debate" over the issue after Singapore raised questions over nuclear safety.

The discussion on the role of nuclear power as an option to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the APEC region was strongly supported by the US Deputy Secretary of Energy, Clay Sell. Mr Macfarlane said Singapore had requested that any decision by an APEC country to pursue the nuclear mix should be made in consultation with their neighbours.

Officials from both Vietnam and Indonesia told the APEC conference their countries were studying the option of nuclear power stations that could come on line in the next decade.

The final declaration contained a watered down clause encouraging APEC members to join the organisation's nuclear technologies group to ensure the "safety, security, seismic health and waste handling aspects" of nuclear power were "adequately addressed".

The final declaration by the 21 APEC countries also supported sharing technologies on energy efficiency, biofuels, clean coal and renewable energy as well as measures to increase energy security in the growing APEC region. But there was little support for a regional carbon trading emissions scheme that would put a price on greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuels across APEC.

A report on emissions trading is set to be delivered to the Prime Minister, John Howard, tomorrow. But it is now believed it will be unlikely to set hard targets for Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Macfarlane strongly signalled in Darwin that the targets will be left to another economic committee to assess how they can be achieved without cutting into economic growth.

Mr Macfarlane told reporters any target will depend on the technology capable of achieving it. "The challenge at the moment is not to set targets, the challenge is to actually have the technology to achieve targets."

Labor has set a long-term target of reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, based on emissions in the year 2000 which the Government has dismissed as irresponsible.

Tomorrow's report will, however, pave the way for Australia to finally establish an emissions trading scheme that will put a price on Australia's greenhouse gas pollution.

The importance of clean coal technology in achieving a target for greenhouse gas cuts was highlighted yesterday when a slanging match broke out between Mr Macfarlane and the Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, over his state's high profile "zero gen" clean coal project.

Mr Macfarlane told reporters in Darwin the project has "collapsed" but Mr Beattie said he had "no idea" what Mr Macfarlane was talking about. "Why would the coal industry invest $600million in clean coal if they weren't serious?" Mr Beattie said. "Ian Macfarlane is repeatedly trying to undermine clean coal technologies?"

..............................

Postscript #1 1st June 2007

By coincidence (or not ?) a prominent reflection on widespread public fears of nuclear apocalypse was published today in the high circulation Sydney Daily Telegraph:

 Shute's sands of timeBy Gideon Haigh: THEY don't make novelists like Nevil Shute any more: a self-made millionaire who served in both

Posted by editor at 2:20 PM NZT

Updated: Friday, 1 June 2007 1:04 PM NZT

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Mood:  down

3. Each day more trees will die

Steve Truman, renegade farmer [actually not a farmer as admitted to Dan Lewis journo at the Sydney Morning Herald pers comm 30/5/07] and member of the Commonwealth Property Protection Association writes:

Australian farmers have had enough of federal and state governments' reclamation of their land by stealth. So, on Sunday 1 July as a form of civil disobedience, thousands of farmers across Queensland, NSW and Victoria will cut down a tree. On 2 July they will cut down two trees and so on.

How has it come to this? The Federal Government sent Senator Ian Campbell to the Kyoto Conference in 1997 with a simple instruction. Only sign the agreement if the Australian government could insert a clause that allowed them to count the carbon credits accrued from stopping landing clearing in Australia. The clause 3.7 is known internationally as "The Australian Clause"................

The end result of Governments acting unfairly and unjustly towards its citizens is civil disobedience. History has shown that in a strong democracy, if its citizens can’t rely on their judicial system to uphold their democratically won rights, civil disobedience is the only course of action. The result of Governments behaving badly towards its citizens is, in turn, a protest in the form of its citizens behaving badly.

Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or submit them anonymously here.

........

Nor is this the only anti environmental ratbag in the last few days rushing into the media: Don Burke the determined anti recycler and green baiter was at it for the rippoff of the Australian Conservation Foundation with a real democratic basis. Burke calls his bogus group the Australian Environment Foundation in a clear attempt at misleading and deceptive conduct on the opinion page of the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday. A good legal case under the Trade Practices Act by the ACF would be our view:

Farmers' offer too good to refuse - Opinion - smh.com.au

It's mostly hogwash trying to cover up the outrageous criminal clearing of the Gwydir Wetlands here page 1 21st May 2007

Bulldozed: a vital wetland - National - smh.com.au

And we notice this story running of Rio Tinto paying farmers $1M for not clearing to get the carbon credits, which is just no good for someone like Steve Truman in the farm machinery land clearing business May 26th

Farmer makes $1m for doing nothing at all | NEWS.com.au

with this heartening image captioned "Tree change ... Queensland farmer Peter Allen and his wife were ready to chop down their trees until Rio Tinto stepped in / Annette Dew"

The following is a tip sent to Crikey.com.au this afternoon:

Posted by editor at 6:14 PM NZT

Updated: Thursday, 31 May 2007 3:02 PM NZT

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Mood:  sharp

We rang the ABC radio this morning and gave some background on the politics of tax deductibility (TD) for non govt groups in relation to their story on Aidwatch (AW) non profit: Canberra's gagging us, say charities - National - brisbanetimes.com.au and locally here

Canberra's gagging us, say charities THE freedom of welfare, aid and environment groups to speak out about government policies has been called into question by a decision of the Australian Taxation Office to strip a voluntary watchdog of its charity status.

The guy carrying the can today is card carrying bleeding heart idealistic public intellectual Dr James Goodman.

First the notion of charity and non profit should be clarified. Charity is usually understood as social services like food, clothing, shelter, medical including mental health services. Non profits are a much more intangible public good like art, theatre, environment, civil society, democracy, human rights awareness. They both deserve and get TD for a better society and a better democracy, if you believe in those kind of things.

AW falls into the second class of TD but the conservative Howard Govt only believe it seems in the first class. Sad really. In this way the arts and theatre people should be very worried.

TD as we understand it is administered by the Australian Taxation Office but the gate keeper for TD are the relevant govt departments of the relevant ministerial portfolio - arts for those ngo groups, health for those ngo groups, environment same and on it goes. This is logical because those specific dept bureaucrats have expertise on which non profit ngos are fair dinkum community based and which ones might be bogus or fraudulent.

In 1996 Senator John Faulkner was Environment Minister (we on behalf of The Wilderness Society had months earlier been bushwalking with the guy and his two kids in the Blue Mountains with press man James Woodford in a pre election Pic Fac). I was working with Friends of the Earth Sydney in Bathurst St Sydney in 1996. Aidwatch was above The Wilderness Society shop in Liverpool St a block away fora a year or two (just back from Hungry Jacks today and opposite World Square, then a dead hole in the ground). AW was run by Lee Rhiannon, then a fairly unknown activist, and we had moved on from The Wilderness Society. Lee and I were both members of the Eastern Suburbs Greens (I'm non aligned since 2000.)

AW a recent startup were desperate for TD and requested a letter of support from FoE who were categorically a TD green group accredited by the Federal Dept of the Environment probably for decades like a constellation of groups including the Australian Conservation Foundation promoted by such as conservative Sir Garfield Barwick back to the 1960ies.

Being of a legal litigation experience and knowing how sharp Faulkner was, I knew blather wouldn't cut and AW would have to meet the obvious concern with AW getting TD under an environmental category: That they were busy on human rights and social justice concerns.

But FoE had a perspective on that with their slogan "environmental protection in a human rights context". This was the extra step from say ACF on environment, or The Wilderness Society again on environment per se. So I wrote a reference with a view to Faulkner in terms similar to:

'We are a well recognised green group who understand how the environment inter relates with human rights concerns such as tropical deforestation leaving villages ripped off and poverty stricken. Often as a result of corruption of govt process. Civil society rule of law and democracy are valid issues for a green group to fight for. So we are comfortable with such as AidWatch being characterised as an environmental group from human rights perspective"

Of course since then the concept of "environmental justice" cross over between environment and human rights/social justice has become mainstream like .....

- climate change refugees,

- Javanese villagers land being flooded by hot spewing mud from a bore hole,

- compensation concerns for nuclear test victims including army veterans, Indigenous etc

- racialised and socio economic siting of polluting industry generally including here in Sydney eg containers, dredging, poisons in Botany not Pittwater

AW contacted us way back then and were wrapped with our "great" letter. Well thankyou, all in a days work in fact. AW was indeed given TD. And so Lee Rhiannon's political career took another big step. Not the other way round as some might think today with Big Lee rampaging across the political landscape from Gulaga forest protest to coal mines in the Hunter.

The rest is electoral history with Howard's govt marching to power later in 1996.

We don't know whether the basis of AW TD has changed since 1996 but in the nature of these things we imagine its remained the same all the way back to 1996. Now it's all in the news today on AM show this morning 30th May 2007 with assistant treasurer Peter Dutton etc. No doubt the government figure such as academic Dr James Goodman of that group are "undesirables" given this image of the great and good James alternatively bearded and clean shaven at different times in his career

Indeed we wonder what possible expertise the ATO actually has in regard to portfolio related decisions as to valid community based ngo groups involved in art, health, environment, human rights etc. It's not an expertise that naturally fits with the bean counters in the ATO at first instance. It should be a portfolio ministerial discretionary advice based on the research of their officers in the relevant field.

Also the idea that such ngo's should not be part of political discourse or engage in political posture as somehow the ethical basis for cancelling TD is a joke at the expense of real democracy and civil society and to protect the govt from scrutiny. Everything is political from the choice you make at the supermarket to handing out at a polling booth.The idea public interest groups should not express a view in any forum is fundamentally fascist. The point is whether you want people with expertise to advocate on these public virtues whether charity, narrowly defined, or non profit social benefits more broadly.

The real question is whether the ngo is working for an appropriate topic known as a public good and worth supporting financially in a democracy, not where they do so. The real question is whether it is medical, human right, environment, art, social service, whatever not whether it is 'political'.

In the current context for AW to be promoting more direct hypothecation of govt aid expenditure to poverty alleviation for our neighbours, and the govt to argue sufficient nexus via indirect benefit to global budget of the beneficiary country is fair game, and fair play. Penalising AW for exposing that allegedly sly accounting of Treasurer Peter Costello is highly suggestive, with rumours now in crikey.com.au yesterday of corrupt developers in Africa via Indonesia tsunami.

If AW watchdog didn't exist today it would be necessary to invent it. The hypocrisy regarding the Coalition commitment to the Building and Industrial Commission quite fascist watchdog issuing $20K individual fines, but not mild mannered herbal ngos says alot. Here is that crikey item in the public interest from their subscriber material yesterday 29th May 07:

7. Tips and rumours

Our ever-alert DFAT mole has come up with some very interesting news emanating from, of all places, Lome, the capital of Togo. As Crikey was reaching for an atlas, the mole explained: Togo is nestled between Ghana and Benin and is under the control of a strict dictatorship and, like most African countries,is rife with corruption. We gather the mole has seen reports emanating from Lome -- he wouldn't identify the author, but as Australia is represented in Ghana it's not hard to guess. The message is that the building boom in Lome, which is of huge proportions, is being financed by some high-ranking Indonesian officials allegedly using tsunami relief funds. The mole says there's more to come -- and it's not nice. Crikey was reminded the Australian Government was a huge relief donor and this information might just explain why the rebuilding of the worst-affected tsunami areas is going at snail's pace.

All this underlines why in late 2002 we requested from the Environment Dept the tedious lengthy forms for TD for our ecology action australia network busy on green projects as such here and then decided no, it wasn't safe to deliver all that confidential personal information into the hands of this government. They couldn't be trusted. Better to proceed as a private non profit foundation. Such distrust, based on demonstrated experience of the ngo movement not least the FoE national organisation (whose admin subsidy had been cut already some years earlier for the newsletter pictured above). And so it has come to pass with AidWatch last October 2006 and in the news today, and other groups feeling the heat as reported in the Fairfax press today.

Make no mistake there is a creeping culture of fascism in this government just as this writer was blacklisted from blog reporting on the campus of Sydney University recently (a student anti govt rally), and Big Media have "drawn a line in the sand" on protection of journalists and their sources.

Bring on a change of government, democracy depends on it.

..................

Postscript #1 Crikey.com.au writes today 30th May 2007

28. Has the Tax Office become the Government’s knee-capper?

Former ATO auditor Chris Seage writes:

Posted by editor at 9:56 AM NZT

Updated: Wednesday, 30 May 2007 9:12 PM NZT

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Mood:  on fire

If John Howard thinks he is free of the troublesome priest of greenhouse science, Prof Tim Flannery, think again PM.

There was Prof Flannery introducing Noel Pearson's rage against systemic white government on Australian Story last night - Pearson and Flannery both a product of quite a deal of white society (including big business) sponsorship from Keating back to 1993, and the fallout of the Mabo decision, and big law firm jobs. To be fair Pearson is back where it counts for years now. And Flannery has his green vocation which is also admirable.

[To digress from Flannery a moment re Australian Story, Noel was keen to work with the The Wilderness Society in the early 1990's coining the phrase "indigenous wilderness", just as I worked with Steve Lalor the NSW Aboriginal Liaison Officer in the NSW branch of TWS. What was more revealing in the show last night was the marked shift of traditional owner Marandoo Yanner proving that Black politics has as many fraught twists and turns as Canberra, given Yanner was all for the Wild Rivers legislation till recently. Yanner was playing us greenies shamelessly there on the screen.

And chubby poetic Alec Marr of TWS is no slouch with a clever yarn .... just like Flannery as per The Australian colour mag).

There is plenty more to run in the morality of the North Qld situation and Noel Pearson is kidding himself if he thinks he can use a Big Media bullypit alone via non journalistic Australian Story, leveraging black skin on a visual medium to win this argument over future land use and big developers. Recall Jabiluka owner Yvonne Margarula's brother murdered in a knife fight in a mining town. That's what big white vice in the name of development does to Traditional culture too. Witness Marcia Langton part funded by uranium miner ERA in her academic career. That's quite a grey moral world of land use politics.]

The point is Flannery is building an alliance with Margaret Fulton, a cultural icon if ever there was, and thus bouncing back from the Coalition Govt chill with a vengeance. Indeed consorting with 2 other living treasures in 2 days of Big Media - Margaret Fulton described as "Australia's best-known and most-loved cookery writer", and Noel Pearson perhaps the most articulate English speaking Black Australian that has ever lived. That's alot of kitchens there PM, and Black and White barrackers let alone ABC watchers. In cahoots with nemesis Prof Tim Flannery.

And grand dame Fulton getting the royal treatment on Trioli 702 radio mid morning today and previous weeks from memory just reinforces the point.

It's the attack of the cultural icons: PM - to be frank - you are cactus, individual ALP hypocrisy on IR regardless.

And notice this evolving issue of food sourcing by distance in Tim's Flannery's quote

" There's an old Italian bloke and I just buy whatever he's got because it's grown about a kilometre away from where we buy it ..."

Which is exactly what this grist article is about there in the USA:

Alisa Smith and James McKinnon chew the fat on their 100-mile diet ...

Posted by editor at 1:27 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 29 May 2007 8:04 PM NZT

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Mood:  surprised

The SAM blogger has had the dreaded onset winter lergie for some 4 weeks now - it's rotten. The colder than average home base here in the old building doesn't help either.

Some like oranges, garlic etc but what really works for us beside rest and fluids is careful use of eucalyptus drops about $4.50 for 100ml at the supermarket depending on the brand.

Boil the kettle, pour into a pot. Put in 10 or 15 drops (a short pour) and slowly breathe in the heady mix gradually and out again. It's strong stuff so be sure to read the directions and don't ever drink the stuff. Do this as long as you like or the vapour cloud lasts (a minute or two). No need to boil on a cooker either as adequate volalitility just off the boil, and quite comfortable temperature.

2 or 3 times a day is really working to clear our lungs, and it somehow feels patriotic too.

Posted by editor at 12:33 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 29 May 2007 1:10 PM NZT

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Mood:  not sure

Note this pre publicity by the police and their captured political representatives in State Government in the press today:

APEC gets tough on protesters | The Daily Telegraph 

This writer spent 2 years on Bondi Safety Committee 1996-97 as an elected local councillor and we learned to never let the police set the tone of pre event publicity. The principle looks the same today even as big as the APEC conference will be in Sydney in September 2007.

Police inevitably predict aggressive clashes with the public and suggest criminal behaviour by protesters which is the police paradigm and in fact what they plan for. This has the effect of promoting their own importance and budget in a highly convenient fashion for the bureaucracy. It is also self fulfilling prophesy because the minute number actually looking for sport at the police expense take it as an invitation to come on down and box on. 

In a sense they all get what they want at the expense of the broader public. But there is a much more serious aspect of distraction from  real risk profile for such an event.

What worries this writer most is not loud ferals, even pushy ones, or mindless street violence. And certainly not organised recognised non govt groups who never want the reputation for violence. What worries me, and should worry everyone not least Big Media and Govt:

1. is those 7 or so missing rocket launchers reported in the Murdoch press and media release of the federal/NSW police. Still missing?

2. Canberra is set up for gatherings away from the largest centre of population, not just for one offs like APEC, but to avoid opportunistic coups via a big rally taking over the parliament house (theoretically possible in Sydney of 4M but not Canberra).

3. Is Howard secretly hoping there will be an attack to get votes in a patriotic fervour?

4. The petrol tanker scenario. See these pics above of a truck accident in Rockdale 5 years back we locals of the time witnessed  - large volumes of fuel and a spark can destroy anything, including melt the tanker in half, like a hot knife through butter. That's scary.

None of these are protester related, marbles or stuff like that. Those are so marginal and in truth this writer has never ever witnessed that in 15 years of ngo activity as God is my witness, 6 or so arrests for peaceful protest without conviction, and solicitor now. That said, we don't like seeing anyone get hurt, democracy activists police or anyone. For moral reasons but also quite practical - draconian blow back by the system. Gandhi is my way even if we can't be a saint like him.

We were quite surprised indeed to read the quite calm and brutal article in the Herald recently on the history of lethal attacks on political leaders. This was suggestive of activity way beyond the aims or objectives of the local ngo movement I've known this last 15 years in Sydney. Here is the reference, and we had to wonder how responsible the article was but here it is anyway relying on the Herald as precedent:

Gunning for democracy works, just don't miss - Opinion - smh.com.au

Postscript #1 May 29th 2007

As we hear of alleged sadism of police filming capsicum spray victims on their mobile phone, and police 'on patrol' at the local McDonalds (read feeding their face), we notice the Peerless Hack on APEC in the press today below: Coincidence really given we put a version of the above comment piece on that Daily Telegrpah story which they did publish. Here is the Akerman headline and notice the yellow sunshine and bogus image of Deputy Premier John Watkins in their graphic:

Stay tuned for our analysis of the "natural gas" and "other working groups looking at other aspects of the energy industry".

These are great euphemisms by Hackerman refering to the Bush-Howard Global Nuclear Energy Partnership spread of radioactive stain across the world. Indeed this is confirmed by Nigel Wilson recently in the business pages of the Australian so no point in denials. It's salad days for the nuke pimps with a missile defence shield boosting an arms race and thus nuke weapon deterrent here too on Australian soil. If only Howard can win the next election. And if there were any doubt about Mr Yellow take a look at this image:

Here is the web link to the story at:

APEC more than insular views with my comment, but will it go up?

"Piers, you are being euphemistic about the

"working groups looking at other aspects of the energy industry"

Not so much "natural gas" as in fact the Bush-Howard Global Nuclear Energy Partnership spreading radioactive risk to the world.

Nigel Wilson, an excellent News Ltd journo says APEC will do as much in The Australian business section p20 24 May 07.

Trouble is, nuke industry boosting of missile defence shield promotes an arms race and nuke weapon deterent here on our soil. Are you ready for the apocalypse, what about your daughters?

Come on Piers, publish this. I've copied it."

Posted by editor at 4:53 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 29 May 2007 12:17 PM NZT

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Mood:  accident prone

Capitalism clears the air | Features | The Australian

"THE business response to the risk of climate change is quickly gaining momentum. This week News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch made headlines when he announced his plan to make the world's biggest media company carbon neutral by 2010. He is the latest and biggest corporate mover on an issue increasingly being driven by business rather than governments."

Is blogster Blair actually bipolar? We only ask because a symptom of such often high functioning folks is the propensity to high risk behaviour, and you don't get much more high risk within a local News Ltd newspaper by implicitly smearing Big Rupert 

The only question in our mind now is: "Does Big Rupert google his own name very often as per the title to our micro news blog here?" Perhaps we will know by next Saturday.

Posted by editor at 3:12 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 29 May 2007 10:29 AM NZT

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Mood:  chatty

As to sorry day one cannot go past this movie Australian Atomic Confessions made with funding from the NSW Film and Television office by our Friend Greg Young and others in 2005 how Blacks were effectively murdered to do nuke weapons tests in the 1950ies in Australia under the Australian Government of Robert Menzies Liberal Party. [Declaration - we donated Greg Young's airfaire to a film festival screening in Taiwan in 2006 partially re imbursed by the festival organisers.]

Garrett sledges Howard for twisting words around (!). The irony.

Rubbery figures does Howard lovers leap stale lover, Rudd playing Spanish guitar. Repulsive Howard then jumps onto fake platform, to advert of NCIS – looking for a mass murderer – Iraq anyone?

Therese Rein affair. Human and honest line by Rudd, and good point about modern working women but stuffed the language re stay at homes being appendages, which is exactly how women were treated  for ages.

Q and A – Andrew with MR.

Posted by editor at 11:06 AM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 27 May 2007 12:43 PM NZT

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Mood:  sharp

Barry Chipman, Tasmanian state manager, Timber Communities Australia, writes: It looks like John Hayward (yesterday, comments) who recently claimed to be representing Tasmanians Against Pulp Mills, has exposed the greens' real agenda and that is to lock up all forest on private land in Tasmania. Clearly he is not satisfied with the 47% of native forest already in reserve. A reserve system that covers 2.9 million hectares of Tasmania's total land mass which includes 1.4 million hectares of native forest. These figures are not TCA's but can be downloaded from the Australian Government's website. For those wanting to know how the company proposing the pulp mill for Bell Bay manages its forest estate on its own freehold land, this information is available in a completely open and transparent way here and shows that 19% is already managed as conservation reserves. These two publicly accessible documents show that Tasmania's forest industry and its dependent communities have no hidden agendas and are proud of the balance achieved between conservation and timber values.

This is what the best scientists in Australia had to say in 2004, direct quote:

Statement of support for change on Tasmania's forests

9 September 2004

The Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) is widely perceived in the scientific community to have failed to deliver the intended protection for environmental, wilderness and heritage values that state and federal governments committed to when they signed the National Forest Policy in 1992.

The scientific processes in the Tasmanian RFA were overwhelmed by political compromises. Established criteria for forest conservation were not fully applied. There are large areas of high conservation value forest that would have been reserved if the RFA criteria for forest conservation had been fully applied.

Logging practices and the conversion of native forests to plantations have intensified in the seven years since the signing of the RFA, resulting in record volumes of export wood chip production. This intensification, combined with the well-documented inadequacies of the conservation reserve system (exemplified by the large areas of unlogged Eucalyptus regnans tall open-forest that remain unprotected) has produced highly modified forested landscapes with diminished landscape values.

There is an urgent need for Commonwealth government intervention to significantly improve the forest reserve system and to adequately protect landscape values. We believe that the conversion of native forests to plantations is highly undesirable, and is contrary to the spirit of the RFA, the National Plantations Policy, the Forest Stewardship Council and the Australian Forestry Standard.

In light of the extensive changes that have occurred in many of the most productive forest ecosystems in Tasmania, we believe that the reserve system should be significantly extended to include all high conservation value forests.

Signed,

Professor Tim Bonyhady FAAH FSSA, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT

Professor Ralf Buckley, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD

Professor Mark Burgman, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC

Professor David Gillieson, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD

Professor Richard Hobbs FAAS, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA

Professor Peter Kershaw, Monash University, Clayton, VIC

Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick AM, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS

Professor Charles J Krebs, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra, ACT

Professor Tony Norton, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC

Professor Harry Recher AM, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA

Professor Jann Williams, LaTrobe University, Bendigo, VIC

Associate Professor Jeremy Bruhl, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW

Associate Professor Brendan Mackey, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT

Associate Professor Nick Reid, University of New England, Armidale, NSW

Dr Deborah Rose FASSA (Senior Fellow), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT

Dr Matthew Appleby, Tea Tree, TAS

Dr Colin Arrowsmith, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC

Dr Geoff Bedford, Cremorne, NSW

Dr Sarah Bekessy, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC

Dr Kirsten Benkendorff, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA

Dr Joe Benshemesh, Alice Springs, NT

Dr Sandra Berry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT

Dr Mark Breitfuss, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Herston, QLD

Dr Karl E C Brennan, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA

Dr Don Driscoll, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA

Dr Alaric Fisher, Jingili, NT

Dr David Fraser, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC

Dr David Green, Rosny Park, TAS

Dr Ron Grenfell, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC

Dr Graeme Hastwell, CRC for Australian Weed Management, Brisbane, QLD

Dr Robert Henzell, Uraidla, SA

Dr Andrew B Hingston, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS

Dr Amy Jansen, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW

Dr Simon Jones, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC

Dr David Keith, Wildlife Research Institute, Sydney, NSW

Dr Dylan Korczynskyj, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, WA

Dr Michelle Leishman, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW

Dr Gary Luck, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW

Dr Gang-Jun Liu, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC

Dr Michael McCarthy, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC0

Dr Tein McDonald, Woodburn, NSW

Dr Peter McQuillan, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS

Dr Silke Nebel, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW

Dr Kirsten Parris, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC

Dr S. "Topa" Petit, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA

Dr Emma Pharo, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS

Dr Pieter Poot, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA

Dr Lynda Prior, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT

Dr Libby Robin, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT

Dr Jonathan Stark, Fern Tree, TAS

Dr Alan Stewart, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW

Dr Barbara Stewart, Mullumbimby, NSW

Dr Elizabeth Tasker, NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, Hurstville, NSW

Dr Fleur Tiver, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA

Dr Arn Tolsma, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Heidelberg, VIC

Dr Rodney van der Ree, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC

Dr Steven Ward, Mortdale, NSW

Dr Brendan Wintle, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC

Mr Keith Breheny, Midway Point, TAS

Mr Christopher M Carr, Armidale, NSW

Mr Oberon Carter, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Heidelberg, VIC

Mr Yung En Chee, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC

Mr Paul Finn, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD

Mr Garry Germon, Gloucester, NSW

Mr Tim Heard, CSIRO Entomology, Indooroopilly, QLD

Mr John Hibberd, Kestel Reserch Pty Ltd, Wapengo via Bega, NSW

Mr Daniel Hunter, Dhurringile, VIC

Mr Boris Lomov, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW

Mr Michael McBain, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC

Mr Wieslawa Misiak, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS

Mr Julian Reid, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra, ACT

Mr Paul Rymer, Woolloomooloo, NSW

Mr Matthew Sheehan, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS

Mr Phil Spark, Tamworth, NSW

Mr Garon Staines, Terrigal, NSW

Mr Paul Thomas, Lawson, NSW

Mr Christopher van Buggenum, Thirroul, NSW

Ms Rose Andrew, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT

Ms Janet Cohn, NSW Department of Environment & Conservation, Hurstville, NSW

Ms Nicole Cranston, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT

Ms Naomi Davis, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC

Ms Kate Hammill, NSW Department of Environment & Conservation, Hurstville, NSW

Ms Jane Jelbart, University of Western Sydney, Avoca Beach, NSW

Ms Melinda Laidlaw, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD

Ms Deborah Landenberger, University of Newcastle, Elermore Vale, NSW

Ms Samantha Lloyd, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW

Ms Nicky Meeson, Midway Point, TAS

Ms Maggie Nightingale, Alice Springs, NT

Ms Shirley Pipitone, Flynn, ACT

Ms Catherine Pohlman, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD

Ms Frances Quinn, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW

Ms Sally Radford, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW

Ms Elizabeth Rickwood, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT

Ms Karen Ross, NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, Hurstville, NSW

Ms Monica Ruibal, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT

Ms Libby Rumpff, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC

Ms Justine Shaw, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS

Ms Andrea White, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC

Ms Joanna Willmott, Kurrajong, NSW

Ms Jesse McCoullough, Albion Park, NSW

Miss Amanda Nascimento, Port Kembla, NSW

Contact: Professor Tony Norton ph.(03) 9925-3279; fax.(03) 9663-2517

Email: tony.norton@rmit.edu.au

Posted by editor at 1:07 PM NZT

Updated: Friday, 25 May 2007 1:32 PM NZT

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