Which all raises the question is the price of real opposition of some local greens to resource industry projects
like Lake Cowal cyanide mine too cheap? In the case of the Lake Cowal $6 million MOU some crucial clauses were quoted in a
article in the Daily Telegraph way back in 1998 including:
“THE LAKE COWAL ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST”
“Provided that construction of the Cowal
Gold Mine is commenced, North [successor Canadian miner Barrick Gold] agrees to make the following donations:
(a) $100,000
per year during the construction period and the production life of the mine;
(b) up to $100,000 per year during the
production life of the mine to match dollar for dollar monies that are donated to the Trust from other sources.”
What intrigues OF&W is whether there is a standard green clause of 10% admin fee to select green bodies making
a neat $600,000 over the life of the mine?
4. Lake Cowal III. Aboriginal ‘United Nations’ issues
resolution against cyanide mine
Hot on the heels of the Sydney gathering and elsewhere in the country OF&W
received the following statement from traditional owner Neville Williams dated Friday 21st May. For the record here is the
authentic voice of a 60,000 year plus culture telling it like it is:
“We, the Elders and Traditional Owners representing the sovereign Aboriginal nations within the Murray
Darling Basin are in total opposition to the proposed Canadian Barrick goldmine within Lake Cowal, the sacred heartland of
Wiradjuri.
We demand that the Federal and New South Wales State Governments intervene to halt the cyanide leach goldmine
proposed for Lake Cowal, before there is any more desecration of Wiradjuri’s sacred heartland and a potential environmental
disaster.
We oppose the danger of transporting 6000 tonnes a year of lethal cyanide from Gladstone, Queensland, across
our river catchments into the Lake Cowal and Kalara (Lachlan) River floodplain to leach the gold. The cyanide tailings dams
are two square kilometres in area and an environmental disaster from a potential cyanide leak threatens rivers and ground
waters in the Murray Darling Basin from Condobolin to Adelaide.
We oppose the planned gold mine which would expose
204 million tonnes of waste rock to air releasing arsenic, a heavy metal poison, which accumulates in living tissue and is
concentrated by the food chain. The arsenic would be washed into the lake and rivers after rain.
We condemn the allocation
to the mining company of 16 Megalitres (16 million litres) a day of precious and sacred water from the underground river east
of Lake Cowal and part of the Kalara (Lachlan) river system.
We support the Mooka and Kalara united families within
the Wiradjuri nation in their lead in the opposition to the goldmine and to any ‘Consent to Destroy’ of living
sites and cultural heritage. We call on all people to support us in our fight to protect Lake Cowal in the heart of the living
Murray Darling Basin.
Resolved on 21 May 2004 in old Parliament House, Canberra
Contact Neville Williams 0416
316 774 or 0421 795 639”
5. What value Clover Moore new Mayor of Sydney?
The Isabelle Coe inspired protest camp
last Thursday went smoothly one suspects because there was no complaint from Sydney City Council to the police over lighting
of the sacred fire in a public park yet this writer remembers a tense stand off with police in 2000 under disrespectful predecessor
Mayor ‘Cranky’ Franky’ Sartor now an ALP minister under Bob Carr.
Town Hall are also helping promote
The Wilderness Society’s World Environment Day Saturday June 5th 3.30 pm featuring famous Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan,
Adam Spencer of JJJ notoriety, the wonderful Vince Jones, and idealistic Jimmy Barnes on the come back and no doubt sundry
other spruikers including princess Mary nee Donaldson – only kidding. The point is Town Hall are happy to host and promote
the public interest event to oppose woodchipping of Tasmania in this sensitive election year. Too bad Walt Disney distributors
are not so democratic with a certain recent Michael Moore film.
Perhaps namesake Clover M should offer to show Michael
M’s film – after all they are both old Irish stock and community operators.
Now that Mayor Moore has postponed
chainsawing and hopefully saved 5 classic Domain Figs she has been busy on Stateline with a convincing and competent Q &
A via bright man Quentin ‘Rupert’ Dempster as Premier Carr once called him on one of his off days.
Clover
also features in a technical knockout in PR terms in the latest Wentworth Courier 20th May lead story p3 outing 4 state appointees
after they monstered a DA assessment from 11 to 31 storeys destroying the views of existing property owners . Boo hoo I hear
the country greens wise-cracking but in the Big Smog the story reinforces the electors choice to Clover in spades. It’s
the city equivalent of turning the neighbours water tank taps on and opening their gates ie declaration of war.
6.
Melbourne doing better than Sydney on water? Prelude to Forests For Water Walk.
In an echo of the ‘Water
is more precious than Gold’ catchcry of the Lake Cowal defenders, the Green Party equivalent of Clover Moore down south,
Cr David Risstrom, issued a statement 23rd May that Melbourne is doing well on water conservation:
“The City Of Melbourne¹s ambitious water saving plan OWatermark, which has already produced a 17% reduction
in water use in Melbourne, has won the 2004 SaveWater Local Government Award. The City of Melbourne developed Watermark in
collaboration with the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI) and Melbourne Water.”
Which raises the question whether Melbourne is doing better than Sydney in the water stakes? OF&W understands
this issue of Sydney supply, of intense interest with increased restrictions from June 1st, overflows (bad pun) to the regions
with govt seeking some 1/5 increased capacity from the Shoalhaven catchment in say 5 years with logging of those water catchments
still continuing apace. Hence regional and city green groups are holding a Forests For Water event soon to raise awareness
of the relationship of upright trees to good water supply by walking from the Eden based woodchipper to Sydney. A case of
the left hand not knowing what the right is doing in NSW? Or perhaps of what else is new?
7. Wentworth
federal seat - still a green fight?
De-selected Rhodes scholar Peter King, replaced by Rhodes scholar Mal
Turnbull are still going hammer and tongs with profile stoushes as each set up shop on the same corner last weekend making
the tv news later that day. Not strictly a forest or even environment story only that in election season its amazing that
in this traditional blue ribbon Lib seat (but not safe for the specific MP it seems in a seat previously held by John Hewson),
the local paper 19th May is running ‘greenie’ Ian Kiernan with Turnbull, local worthies with King celebrating
a bushland grant, cross city road tunnel filtering and butts on beaches, Centennial Park cycling issue etc. Conspicuous by
their absence are the ALP, Greens, and dark horse Peter Garrett (refer OF&W issue #3 item 1) in this real estate dominated
local rag. Are we and the rag missing something going on in the back room here?
This writer admits only a slight bout
of that evil election fever, reminiscing over a 10% haul as a Wentworth candidate in another life ten years previous.
8. Evidence of further logging reforms in the wind: I. NSW
First there is the planned
privatization of the $1 billion NSW public plantation sector outlined in a briefing recently in the cutely named Waratah room
by unionists, resource economist Judy Clark, Green Party aspirants (and this writer observing) based on an ABN AMRO expert
valuation late 2003. We learned this plan is being spruiked widely and at high level within the ALP machine to the real consternation
of the logging union and some G/greens but probably not this writer.
(A backgrounder on the ideological/real concerns
of this sell off for forest is available from OF&W. At stake for instance is a tragic cross subsidy within State Forest
(SF) financial accounts transferring from the profitable plantation sector to the ‘native forest woodchip and conversion’
sector which runs at a loss. Without the cross subsidy SF could fall over with all that means as a regional political manipulator.)
Then
we have the timetable for increased conservation zones being championed by The Wilderness Society and due anytime. These were
wrung out of the NSW govt after the TWS high profile forest and land clearing bus shelter poster campaign put some added heat
on the Carr govt prior to the 2003 state election. The timetable for western conservation forest decisions is also running
a close parallel.
Then we have Treasurer Egan's decision to amend his land tax legislation so that rural land under
Voluntary Conservation Agreements and nature conservation trusts will be exempted from land tax and vendor duty.
Then
we have a 5 year review of the infamous ‘regional forest (non) agreements in NSW as per this interesting note from a
reader:
“NCC Vacancy: A suitably experienced/qualified person is required to assist in consultations on regulation
of forestry operations. The Nature Conservation Council of NSW Inc.(NCC) is contributing to
the NSW Government's five
year review of key forestry processes. … Inquiries to Peter Prineas pprineas@ozemail.com.au / Susie Russell
The significance of this advert apart from funding admin sinecure to the establishment green umbrella group in
NSW via Carr is that the review is partly overseen by Peter Prineas formerly employed by independent champion Ted Mack –
who also endorsed Clover Moore. Prineas is an author and successful litigant against then NSW Forestry Commission. A tough
operator according to this form. The other overseer is Russel out of the Green Party presumably to protect positions and deals
made over the last 10 years especially in the north east of NSW to allow limited native forest logging in return for ‘old
growth’ reserves. Project lasts 6 weeks apparently with applications closing June 4th.
But my favourite gossip
comes from down south where a reader says:
“I expect some will have heard of the closure of the Cann River Sawmill [East Gippsland Victoria also feeding
to Eden woodchip mill in NSW] and the laying/buying off of allegedly 10 logging crews because of no sawlogs. On the same day
I heard Bob Carr speak of the 'global warming' threat and seemingly cast nasturtiums [praise?] on the carbon credit lobby.
This made me recall a recent meeting with Dr. Jim Shields (SF's premier ecologist) when he went on about 'bio-diversity credits'.
At the time it seemed strange that Jim would be touting something SF, as far as I'm aware, has little interest in. This disparity
was partially clarified a couple of months later when i heard Jim was applying for redundancy.”
9. Privatization of the plantation economic gorilla in NSW.OF&W criticize the Carr
govt for failing to address the plantation sector in its forest conservation reforms in 1995-2000 period. Now with the $1
billion public asset on the chopping block in a cash needy state resource economist Judy Clark, an acknowledged expert on
resource matters has written to say her paper can be found at:
http://cres.anu.edu.au/people/clark.php
and she adds
“Whilst I concentrated on the eco issues, I think there are important environmental issues for plantation
ownership. In particular, the planting was pretty full-on over the 1960s to 1980s and some areas planted would not be planted
today. After they are logged, it may be the land should be rezoned or subjected to specific management requirements. I'm talking
in particular about steep slopes and water buffer zones and corridor linkages. These issues are just as important in the north
as they are in the south, possibly more important. The process for making these adjustments (and keeping log volumes up -
ie through productivity improvements on the next rotation and maybe replanting on more suitable land) will be MUCH easier
if the plantations are in public hands.
”I was surprised about the comments on the native forest subsidy identification
with privatization. If government wanted to know the extent of the subsidy, they could force this work. The issue is how would
the NSW govt react with this information. I think some people are too quick in making conclusions - wishes - here. If they
argue that the NSW govt would react in an economically rational way (ie lift native forest log prices and maybe close some
regions), they need to explain why the NSW government is different to every other state government in Australia - even the
WA government that is at the cutting edge of forest policy in Australia.”
In response to Clark, OF&W has made some tactical observations evidencing public ownership does not guarantee
good environmental management e.g. State Forests itself and the infamous Transgrid clearing episode in NSW not to mention
financial conflict of interest of legislative and executive arms of govt. Her point on lazy accounting is valid calling up
the dusty 1990 Public Accounts Committee bi partisan report into then Forestry Commission which report went the way of the
dodo. As for differences in NSW: Carr and his familiar refrain on greenhouse and 350 new national parks? But OF&W agrees
to this extent that it’s a very arguable situation. Certainly Carr could retrieve an awful lot of bad vibes environmentally
and generally by closing down the cronies in State Forests for good and cleaning up the plantation sector as the bright future
for loggers in a sustainable landscape.
10. Howard’s resilient example applies to forest activism?
According
to the gossip, chief biological apologist for State Forest egregious destruction, Dr Jim Shields, is going for redundancy
which brings to mind the list of eminent players in forest policy in NSW who have moved on:
- Senator Penny Wong recently
on Insiders now Adelaide based previously adviser to Forest Minister Kim Yeadon;
- Yeadon himself and Pam Allan then environment
minister both demoted from Cabinet;
- industry folks like Robert Bain and squeeze Robin …….? who left her logger
hubby for Bain’s charms;
- unionists Gavin Hillier, and then Mark Greenhill now on the local govt gravy train in
WESROC
- greenies Dailan Pugh, John Corkhill environment medal winners praised by Bob Carr of all people, and Noel Plumb
who this writer was pleased to be arrested with down south and rumour has it is moving into horticulture.
Any other
names from readers from this admittedly NSW focused list.
11. Evidence of further logging reforms: II.
Nationally
In a close election year one might expect a few feathers to fly in the chook house that constitutes
logging industry politics and sure enough 2004 is proving so with some real shifts in industry power and dynamic. As you can
see this is holding up OF&W #4 with all the fascinating developments and it seems trashing the goal of brevity let alone
timeliness. But here goes anyway ….
On the weekend we saw Vicforests advertising in The Australian for a new
Director of Strategy and Planning under the Bracks govt with an emphasis on native forest.
Then there is the newly
formed “A3P” quoted by the Fin Review as the new national plantation lobby group. That story 6th May suggests
A3P is another spruiker for mindless roll out of increased new plantings and certainly that was the impression their CEO Belinda
Robinson gave when interviewed earlier this month on radio national’s Bush Telegraph by avoiding hard questions of sustainability.
Not promising.
More significantly Crikey e newsletter notes 19th May:
“Mitsubishi calls for an end to old growth logging
Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation,
which imports 400,000 tonnes of Tassie woodchips annually, has announced it doesn't condone logging from old-growth or high
conservation value forests in Tasmania.
In a letter released yesterday Mitsubishi, which has traded with Gunns Ltd for
30 years, condemned unsustainable old-growth logging in Tassie and promised to "make a transition to woodchips sourced from
plantations and second-growth forests as soon as possible".
While Mitsubishi buys just 10 per cent of Tasmanian woodchips exported to Japan, Tassie's largest woodchip
customer, Nippon Paper Industries, has also requested an end to Tasmania's old-growth logging. Following the news this morning
Gunns's share price sunk to a low of $12.01, down 44c, but rebounded to $12.37 after lunch. The Mercury - Japan's chip at
Tassie logging
Meanwhile, Mitsubishi must be very happy with its expansion deeper into the Australian coal industry three
years ago given the way prices have soared since it teamed up with BHP-Billiton to take out QCT Resources.”
Tas politicians are also feeling the heat it seems with Minister Bryan Green (ironic name) criticizing Greens
Bob Brown for talking down their state in what is wrongly claimed to be a secretive letter to UK MP’s but was in fact
released to Tas media weeks before. The Tas establishment script may be from Gunns Ltd themselves as their executive chairman
John Gay sledged anyone remotely green in a prepared statement 19th May with headmasterly tone that:
“Individuals
like Greenpeace campaigner Danny Kennedy, Senator Brown, Greens Leader Peg Putt and others need to take a good hard look at
themselves and realise their mistruths are hurting our state”.
But Mr Gay might not be referring to this embarrassing
information extracted by senator Brown from federal forest minister Macdonald revealed the same day: “The revelation
that the Commonwealth has spent over a quarter of a million dollars working out how to log Deep Red Myrtle in Tasmania's Tarkine
reveals a political process whereby taxpayers, most of whom want the Tarkine saved, are paying for logging assessments”
See:
http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/policy/rfa/index.html#review
No
wonder the Greens scorn such industry admonitions to consider local profile. The question is which rent seeker deserves tax
dollars? Also dedicated Aussie investors in woodchipping might consider the economic weight in the other direction as pointed
out by ChipStop recently quoting ANU Forestry Market Report No.27
"Australia's Competitors in the Japanese Woodchip
Market …..According to medium term projections by ABARE, the global import demand for woodchips will increase. But the
export supply of woodchips will increase even more. Hence, ABARE says the real prices of woodchips will continue to fall."
ChipStop
states “The report also shows very clearly that while Australian woodchips were until very recently the cheapest in
the Pacific rim, they are now the most expensive (equal with Chile). There have been price renegotiations since this data
was compiled, but I don't think they would have affected the price relativities. This must be due entirely to the rise in
the $A. Worth a look at http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/marketreport/
regards”
The scene is set for The
Greens to collaborate with the ALP for further environmental reforms in the logging sector and increased votes. Leader Latham
said recently:
"Labor believes in investing in the environment, passing on our natural assets and heritage to the next
generation and taking climate change seriously: ratifying the Kyoto protocol and establishing an emissions
trading system,
and establishing new national policies to save the Murray-Darling and to protect our native forests, our beaches and our coastline"
- Mark Latham, 13 May 2004
Commentators are similarly speculating that PM Howard will make more statements on the environment.
[To subscribe/unsubscribe to independent Oz Forest & Woodland send to ecologya [at] wix.com.au]
............................................................
Oz Forest & Woodland # 5 Monday
7th June 2004
Dear recipient,
Apologies for any cross posting. Details for addition or deletion from this independent
free information service to the green movement and elsewhere in the lead up to the federal election and beyond can be found
at the bottom of the page. Submissions and feedback welcome. Brevity preferred. Good luck with your ecology action.
This
issue dedicated to a popular Sydney web activist and Cave Clan-er dead at 28 5th June (world env. day) from a tumour diagnosed
mere weeks ago. Om Gaia.
From the editor, OF&W
12 items.
1. ALP’s-Garrett’s Heffron
gambit
2. Wentworth musings and correction
3. Tower of Zable travels to the USA for the real election?
4. Forces
of Darkness I: Redneck Cochrane saddles up again for pre election NSW tour June/July
5. Cochrane’s other trip to
the ACT BUGs
6. Knowles knifes the public forests again pre-empting the government’s forest ‘agreement’
reviews
7. Forces of Darkness II: govt’s ‘Bush Telegraph’ propaganda
8. Forces of Darkness III: NowDaishowa
corporate parent gets bout of the rebrands.
9. China resource boom to gulp the rest of our public forest?
10. Tassie
forest Sydney Town Hall bash sublimates into Garrett media news break?
11. Dempster’s Stateline digs deeper as Carr
green figleaf(s) cover putrefaction?
12 . Domain Figs latest via Clover Moore E-news
1. ALP’s-Garrett’s
Heffron gambit This proposition will run and run so here is one reference front page treatment Sun Herald.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/05/1086377188017.html?from=storylhs
In item 7 OF&W 24th May entitled “Wentworth federal seat – still a green fight?” the
quiz posed “Are we … missing something going on in the back room here?”. Now turn to adjacent seat of Heffron.
So it takes another deeply cynical and frank George Bush intervention - the sledge last week of Latham - to flush
out an ALP political asset in reply namely Peter Garrett a celebrity idealist …and US foreign policy critic back to
the Nuclear Disarmament Party days.
One can assume the man controlling the timing for this Garrett run, sitting member
Laurie Brereton oft described as “danger man”, has several agendas running. 1. help the ALP win the federal election,
2.stuff Bob Carr’s skip from state seat of Maroubra to federal politics 3. solidarity with deeply entrenched local campaign
to block expansion of Port Botany (a Carr sponsored project, advised against by parliamentary committee 8 days ago, congestion
impacts on 2 million Sydneysiders). 4. Need for a Bay champion, 5. Not least – a la East Timor Brereton’s personal
redemption at the twilight after proven environmental impacts of ‘his’ 3rd runway at Kingsford Smith.
ALP
seniors Latham, Swan, Thompson are cheering and Albanese diplomatically neutral but with the latter’s huge investment
in a 2nd airport recently promoted for Sutton Forest (presumably easing inner west noise impacts) – not too far from
a certain country abode of …. Peter Garrett at Mittagong …one starts to perceive synergistic benefits for the
ALP without the risk of Kernot’s menopausal behaviour? Our view is Garrett will take then ambush the gig possibly in
a sorry suit as per the Olympic closing ceremony. As Shakespeare - or whoever wrote his stuff - said: “There is a tide
in the affairs of men …”
Johno Johnson ALP aged irrelevancy has gone on radio today to sledge the idea
and announce Randwick Club forum 7.30pm Tuesday 8th June. Greens Bob Brown has cautioned against the evil baggage of the ALP.
On the other hand Latham’s recent in absentia environment speech copies available may mitigate if not convince (refer
Sydney Town Hall bash below).
Lastly, ACF confirms again they are a loose and softer faction of the ALP balancing conservative
Coalition favoured greenies.
2. Wentworth musings and correction
1. A Greens psephologist based
in Sydney’s eastern seat of Wentworth wrote within minutes of the send last week to correct the editor’s claim
of a 10% haul of votes 10 years back in item 7 # 4, OF&W. Referring to the Electoral Commission’s web page alas
he was right to the extent the nostalgic haul was the State seat of Vaucluse within and half the geographical area of Wentworth.
A later effort pre dissident phase in Wentworth trawled 5or 6%. At least I was enrolled unlike irrepressible Stephen Mayne
of Crikey who famously came a cropper, gave birth to Jeffed.com and never looked back.
The pain of being corrected
was easily compensated for by said Greenie declining unofficial Party ban on gossip to OF&W. Holy leafy green veg isn’t
openness close to Gandhi-ness? ? Psephologist excoriated the Wentworth Courier for not contacting local Greens to clarify
Peter Garrett was definitely not involved in any behind the scenes coup with the ALP’s David Patch. More’s the
pity. Refer above and item 1, OF&W #3.
The local press are still speculating on a spill in blue ribbon Wentworth
but only if de-selected incumbent Peter King preferences away from the Libs to a substantial and overtaking independent –
possible but unlikely. King may simply be positioning for a better (read perkier) offer before shuffling off the government
backbench. Yet King seems to enjoy his de-selection freedom with a foray Friday 4th June on ABC’s AM slamming that Howard
sacred cow – the Defence Force chiefs.
3. Tower of Zable travels to the USA for the real election?
Ecology
Action which publishes this e-zine kicked in $140 in coin donations to help transport Benny’s Zable and his unique art
- which looks a bit like a mini Statue of Liberty after Krakatoa complete with ominous messages of doom, rainbow flags etc
– over to Uncle Sam this month. Benny is an old hand of the Franklin River, Terrania Creek and other protests as well
a self confessed black sheep amongst ngo straights. If you ask him he will spend an hour telling you a Democrat congressman
Dennis Kucinich (a google if I ever saw), environment and peace candidate, will beat John Kerry for the nomination despite
a patchy media black list. How so?
“Kucinich with several elected terms behind him is the only candidate left
besides Kerry and co-convenor of ‘the Progressives’ – the biggest caucus in the Democrats”.
Sure
enough Kucinich appeared juxtaposed with John Kerry 7.30 Report June 3rd which may a first for Oz TV. Benny has also distributed
locally some hilarious adverts with high production values by moveon.org targeting Bush. These are the ones banned by the
Super Bowl a few months ago as too political that we passed on to Actively Radical TV in Sydney.
Support and donations
to Benny Zable progressive ambassador to the USA would be welcome.
4. Forces of Darkness I: Redneck Cochrane
saddles up again for pre election NSW tour June/July
Just in the snail mail is a notice from south east based
ex MP Peter Cochrane a proven stirrer who never let education or facts get in the way of a good bit of contemptuous bile.
Now heading up ‘Timber Communities Australia’ NSW chapter - which used to be know as the Forest Protection Society
(FPS) until Fair Trading forced truth in advertising – Cochrane is doing the north east tour over 6 dates June 16-21
from Lower Hunter to Tenterfield, State Managers Conference in Tasmania on 22nd June and more dates July 1-8 from Grafton
to Tumut.
He says “We have credibility and have been recognized by “the Greens” Senator Bob Brown
in the Federal Parliament as a force to be “reckoned with”. That pleases us!”
5. Cochrane’s
other trip to the ACT BUGs
The above itinerary of our favourite cowboy Peter Cochrane corroborates his outreach
strategy in an email report from Tessa EffervesCent: She has been monitoring recent ACT Bush Users Group where Cochrane advises
‘Only talk about things you agree on. I don’t like motorbikes in the bush but it doesn’t matter, we only
talk about things in common’: Like how to get an esky to every corner of the planet perhaps? It’s a cheap shot
to be sure yet common gossip around Cooma says Cowboy’s missus went MIA the last time he made a big political effort.
Is it a case now of anywhere but home?
On a similar theme Gra Gra a dedicated greenie writes:
“Hi all
Some of you may remember going along to community consultation sessions held last year by
the National Parks Service concerning future management of five national parks in the region: Monga, Deua, Wadbilliga, Gourock
and Badja Swamps Nature Reserve.
The latest development in this drawn out process is the release of a discussion paper
on the issue of "Access", with NPWS seeking public comments and suggestions by next Monday. Sorry about the late notice.
You
can view or download this paper and make your comments online by going to www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/escarpmentparks .
As
many of you would know, the Parks Service has been under pressure from off road vehicle and horse-riding interests to open
up wilderness areas and although they are standing firm on that it is clear from reading the paper that NPWS is quite prepared
to entrench high impact recreational activities in these national parks outside of the declared wilderness areas.
If
like me you would prefer to see more of these parks put in wilderness or less rather than more use of these supposedly protected
natural areas by trail bikes, horses and 4WD tanks please take this opportunity to let NPWS know.
Thanks”
6. Knowles knifes the public forests again pre-empting the government’s forest ‘agreement’
reviews
A Greenie who is also undoubtedly a greenie sent OF&W a copy of a Carr govt media release dated
2nd June likely to please Peter Cochrane’s logger mates. Minister Knowles curiously re-announced 20 year resource security
supply agreements out of public forests for sundry private north east sawmills effectively implying a further 250K tonnes
of woodchips every year for 20 years ex Tea Gardens on the central coast. Detail of release complete with corporate rent seekers
is at: http://dipnr.nsw.gov.au/mediarel/mo20040601_2681.html
As sad and immoral as this is for saving water catchments,
unique insects, plants and critters generally most greenies, official or otherwise, will be wondering what purpose the govt
funded forest ‘agreement’ reviews only kicking off this week? Applications for the official greenie coordinator
closed with the Nature Conservation Council of NSW on June 4th – refer OF&W #4 item 8 of 24th May. Notice Knowles
put the knife into the review and the north east forests 2 days before the establishment greens got out of the blocks. But
no will be held accountable. It’s just not done like that since Dunphy died.
Perhaps Knowles thinks it will help
the Latham push in north east marginals but obviously he hasn’t read the survey of 60% plus opposition of rural and
regional voters of East Gippsland to woodchipping and any native forest logging actually with a clear preference to existing
purpose grown plantations.
This was announced the same day Knowles took two hits
- Mayor Clover Moore $11M deal
blocking forever a new high rise on Sydney Harbour at Pyrmont; and
- postponement of the Commission of Inquiry into a
Carr govt’s project to jam the biggest container ships in the world into Botany Bay - and all that implies for Sydney
congestion including tripling of container trucks all over Sydney.
So one wonders if the forests copped it in a bad
hair/news day? Again a cheap shot to be sure but Knowles is bald as bowling ball a bit like old ALP strong arm Tom Domican.
Now there’s a comparison in modus operandi.
7. Forces of Darkness II: govt’s ‘Bush
Telegraph’ propaganda
Also hot off the presses of the Allied Forces of Darkness in this D-Day against the
environment is the folksy Bush Telegraph winter 2004 magazine (not to be confused with the excellent Bush Telegraph radio
national programme most days at 11am.)
This is the NSW Govt rebranded “State Forests” Dept propaganda,
a new tag in the mid 1990’s (just like the re-labelling of Forest ‘Protection’ Society at item 4) from the
80 year old “Forestry Commission” as the brand was tainted by woodchipping 400 year old heritage, feral protests
and numerous adverse legal decisions.
Seems not much has changed though – front cover shows 6 fierce saw blades
in one of those arty close up shots. Of most interest apart from the sawmilling ‘figleaf for woodchipping’ story
page 9 to cover the ongoing one million tonnes chips ex NSWevery year, is the merging of “State Forests” into
a super Department of Primary Industry combined with Agriculture, Minerals and Fisheries. The other important item is the
“Pine logs inaugural export from new Eden wharf”: Some 12,000 tonnes to China. Proof positive official policy
makers at all levels are failing to value add public plantation resource on local turf to create jobs for facilitate transfer
out of public forest. Why am I not surprised? These people are not serious.
8. Forces of Darkness III: NowDaishowa
corporate parent gets bout of the rebrands.
In the tradition of local loggers and their cronies it seems the
new Japanese parent “Nippon Unipac Holding” has caught the rebranding disease. It’s local operation –
the notorious Daishowa woodchipper at Eden NSW was first known as nice anglo guided multicultural “Harris-Daishowa”
in the 70’s, then just “Daishowa” in the 90’s reflecting full Japanese control, and now euphemistically
“South East Fibre Exports”. SEFL still woodchip 9 out of every 10 trees in public forest within a few hundred
kilometers just like Gunns Ltd in Tasmania.
Bega based ChipStop http://www.chipstop.forests.org.au
writes 24
May that now parent “Nippon Unipac Holding” which took over increasingly corrupt parent Daishowa 3 years back
will now be known as “Nippon Paper Group, Inc” with a pithy comment “Big deal, but this symbolises that
the takeover of Daishowa is now complete”
9. China resource boom to gulp the rest of our public forest?
Real
cause for alarm says ChipStop probably referring to the public’s experience of previous craven local leadership on logging
issues, quoting Paperloop.com, is news that:
“TOKYO, May 25, 2004 (Press Release) - Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd., Japan's leading paper and pulp
manufacturing company and a core member of the Nippon Unipac Holding Group, has resolved to set up a sales company in Shanghai,
China.”
Alarm says Chipstop because the access into China will “make it easier for NPI suppliers such as Eden (and
Gunns) to expand into the Chinese market as the Japanese market gradually excludes native forest chips”: ChipStop
10.
Tassie forest Sydney Town Hall bash sublimates into Garrett media news break?
A suspiciously weak media coverage
of this stunning and surprisingly classy and well attended bash was the only sad feature last Saturday 5th June World Environment
Day. A postage stamp in one of the Sunday papers referring to the low key charming Jimmy Barnes cameo was about it. But one
could be mistaken for thinking all the rapture of energy of the 1,500 plus attendees - communing with equally enchanting and
enchanted celebrities playing above themselves and blessed by a stunning audio visual more akin to the Wilderness Society
halcyon days of the 80’s - was sublimated into the cascade of interest in the Peter Garrett story. But the event stood
on its own. Mark my words if the world’s shortest maths tutorial of compere Adam Spencer is only half realized a new
army has been born. Appropriately Christine Milne former Tassie State Greens leader has just announced her candidacy for the
Senate late last week just as someone (?) has released guidelines for a new world scale pulp mill sourcing what (?). Readers
advice welcome.
Proudly, Ecology Action pitched in to promote this event with distribution of a few thousand flyers,
a hundred or so posters and subsidized $150 for an advert in the Sydney City News local govt and business reporter. A more
detailed report of the bash will be available soon but one comment from Richard Flanagan international author may suffice:
‘If Qld is the moonlight state then Tasmania is the clearfell state’.
According to this metaphor NT is
the Uranium ‘State’, Victoria the Murder State, ACT the hot air balloon ‘State’ and NSW the Cash for
Comment State.
11. Dempster’s Stateline digs deeper as Carr green figleaf(s) cover putrefaction?
Speaking
of Cash for Comment I wonder if Quentin Dempster knows what he does? Stateline ran a Newspoll: July-August 2003 Carr had a
56% satisfaction rating 29% not, and now after a clear trend March-April only 43% satisfied with more at 46% dis-satisfied.
With such a trend you might expect rats to start jumping. Certainly Roozendaal as state ALP secretary has foreshadowed a sinecure
to the Upper House lounge bar. On the same Stateline the lead in was footage of the “environment movement”- well
no.
It was one man, Jeff Angel (as opposed to say financially independent Wilderness Society see item 10) joining in
a Carr sledge this time over privatization of water rights justifying a return “to the barricades”: A very important
issue no doubt not unlike the million hectares of woodland cleared under Carr 1997-2002, million tonnes of woodchips per year
since 1995,and sundry other big ticket issues over the last 8 years yet Angel wrote pre 2003 state election Sydney Morning
Herald that Carr was the greenest premier in the history of Australia no less. On a mere technicality since 1992 I have never
seen Angel at one “barricade” and not many open campaigner forums for that matter. These are the kind of gatherings
where issues of accountability and real delegated authority tend to get sorted sometimes with big professional bruises. But
not possible if one does not attend.
Our view is Carr is the biggest greenwash merchant in the history of Australia.
Can we expect another juicy grant to a certain select environment group to stay away from nasty Dempster in future?
New
item: A Botany Battler writes of her disgust at the high handed attitude of the Carr govt:
“Many people I know are very disturbed by the way this government operates. I don't believe that the major
players truely support public education. So much advice comes from The Cabinet Office and when you read the last Annual Report
(which I did last night http://www.cabinet.nsw.gov.au/INDEX2.pdf ) you find that Staffing levels from 2001-2003 have risen
from 118 to 147. And further that in that time there has been an increase from 11 to 26 of those at SES level. Pretty incredible
when everyone at the coalface is asked to do so much more with so much less. Also pretty incredible if you have had experience
of correspondence from TOC. They are being paid a lot to do deals and stifle debate.”
12 . Domain Figs latest via Clover Moore E-news
It may be the Great Delegator,
Mayor Clover Moore, and here big financial stick of further legal costs if the Gardens ‘Trust’ gets out the chainsaws
again has brought some pause to the situation. Time will tell very soon. Clover Moore’s Enews June 4th is optimistic
but we Sydney siders believe what we see:
“City AND Trust to protect trees
The City of Sydney Council unanimously resolved this week to enter
into a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust about future tree management
of 19th century landscapes.
Council also approved a new Tree Preservation Order (TPO) for the entire enlarged City
of Sydney local government area.
This TPO will not apply to land under the control of the Royal Botanic Gardens &
Domain Trust and Council hopes that the agreement between the City and the Trust will protect trees in the Domain,
including
the historic figs along Hospital Road.
Council entered into discussions for a Memorandum of Understanding, but if we
are not successful in saving the trees in Hospital Road, Council will reconsider extending the Tree Preservation Order.
I
received a letter received this week from both the Planning and Environment Ministers stating their support for an agreement
between Council and the Trust. It would seem that both Ministers and the
Trust believe that if the City’s Tree Preservation
Order was extended, it would be enforceable.
If the City of Sydney had not intervened we would have lost the fig trees
by now. There is overwhelming support from the community for our actions; 10,000 signatures collected on petitions gives us
a strong
mandate.
It is in everyone’s interest that there is a Tree Management Plan for the Royal Botanic
Gardens and the Domain that is supported by the City and the community.”
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