Wood supply deal clears way for pulping of native forest and eucalypt species

The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc
Media Release   
2 December 2008

Unless the newly-extended wood-supply deal for the pulp mill has been secretly amended, it paves the way for pulping of specialty timber species such as myrtle, blackwood, sassafras, wattle and most Tasmanian eucalypt species, according to the Wilderness Society.

“Most Tasmanians would be horrified to learn that Tasmanian rainforest species can be pulped under this deal between Gunns and Forestry Tasmania,” said Vica Bayley, Forest Campaigner for The Wilderness Society. “The deal contradicts Gunns’ claims that the mill will be plantation-based and should send a shock wave through Tasmanian craftspeople who cherish these timbers.”

“Over a million tonnes per annum of wood extracted from public land under this deal will have to come from native forests,” Mr Bayley said.

He said that Forestry Tasmania’s published projections show that it can produce only 500,000 tonnes per annum of plantation pulpwood, meaning that the rest of the 1.5-million-tonne-per-annum contract for the pulp mill will have to come from native forests.

Under Clause 7.1 of the published agreement, wood supply consists of logs from both plantations and native forests on publicly-owned land managed by Forestry Tasmania (State Forest).

Under Schedule 3 of the published agreement, pulpwood for the mill will be both ‘preferred’ and ‘non-preferred’.

‘Preferred Pulpwood’ includes silver wattle and eucalypt species such as swamp gum, stringybark, blue gum and iron bark.  ‘Non-Preferred Pulpwood’ includes rainforest species such as myrtle, sassafras and blackwood.

Mr Bayley said that there is nothing in the agreement to ensure that such logs do not come from high-conservation-value forests such as those in the North East Highlands, on the slopes of Ben Lomond, the Great Western Tiers and even parts of Tasmania’s south-west.

 
Wood Supply Projection by Forestry Tasmania

The purple is plantation pulpwood.  It is never above 500,000 tonnes per annum – whereas the wood-supply deal with Gunns is for 1.5 million tonnes per annum.

The remaining 1 million tonnes per annum will have to come from native forests (light blue, orange and light green).

Source :  http://www.forestrytas.com.au/news/2008/10/bright-future-for-forestry  pg. 20