Issue6 November 2009
FNSW Charm Offensive
Say ‘no’ to woodchip power online
Forests NSW has been conducting a charm offensive over the past few months, taking regional community opinion leaders on a tour of forests, sawmilling and logging sites. CEO Nick Roberts has come from Sydney to lead the tours, with help from a public relations officer from the north coast. After SERCA protests at initial exclusion from the tours, we were included in the 4 September tour. It was a great opportunity to don a hard hat, get up close to some logging and hear current industry thinking on the big issues. We learned, for example, that Nick Roberts intends to start making a profit from the Native Forest Division (currently losing $14.4m a year, according to the Auditor-General). Royalty prices for logs will go up, he assured us. Forestry staff acknowledged that it is possible for 100% of trees from a compartment to go to the chipmill, but say that the woodchips – even in these circumstances – are still a “by-product” of sawlogging, because the logging will lead to the regeneration of lovely sawlogs in the future.
Sign up to a new on-line petition asking the Australian Government to reject the use of native forest wood for generating electricity and biofuels. The petition is available at: http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/31814.html
As a response to the FNSW forest tours, SERCA conducted its own forest bus tour on 16 October. Guests included Bega Valley Shire Councillors, MPs staff and media. Those who attended displayed a genuine interest, and while we can’t say whether we changed anyone’s mind on the day, we all felt it was a worthwhile undertaking. Our guests now have a far better understanding of the damage woodchipping is doing to our region’s forests, catchments, wildlife, soil and waterways. They also understand that our own interests are genuine, based on what we believe is best for the community, the local environment and even the economy. Our tour included visits to Gnupa and Nullica forests, once home to about a dozen threatened species, but now looking more like a moonscape after intensive logging over the past 5 or so years. Members from Yurangalo Inc helped out with a great morning tea and were able to explain their concerns about forthcoming logging of neighbouring Yurammie forest, which was visible from our morning tea stop in Gnupa forest.
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Chipmill told to pull its head in over wood fired power
The Eden chipmill will stop calling the electricity to be generated from its proposed wood fire power station “Green Power” as a result of action by the conservation movement. It has used the term in media comments and in a brochure printed for distribution to the public. Following a complaint by Greens MP, John Kaye to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the chipmill escaped by the skin of its teeth on a technicality and has agreed to withdraw and redraft the offending pamphlet. To quote from the ACCC decision: “Having regard to the facts and circumstances and to legal precedent on the meaning of ‘in trade or commerce’, it is my view that the representations were not made ‘in trade or commerce’ as required by the Act but rather, in relation to trade or commerce.” “The leaflet,” it says “does not seek to encourage consumers to acquire SEFE’s products.” In other words, in plain English, SEFE is not yet marketing its wood fired electricity, so the law does not yet apply.
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www.serca-online.org
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SERCA forest tour
If you are on an email group list or manage a sympathetic website, please consider promoting the petition. We are asking the Australian Government to 1. protect native forests as an essential element of the fight against global warming by ending native forest logging and woodchipping; 2. remove all forms of native forest wood from the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target, and 3. ban the production of biofuels from native forest wood. We are also calling on the Government to ban the export of native forest woodchips and logs for burning or processing into biofuels. The chipmill woodfired power station would not be viable if native forest wood was excluded from the Rudd Government’s Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET).
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