Protest at Perth corporate AGM over destruction of native forests on NT's Tiwi Islands

The Wilderness Society (WA) Inc
The Environment Centre NT  
Western Australia Forest Alliance

Media Release
7th February 2007

Protesters gathered today at the AGM of Perth-based Great Southern Plantations (GSP) Ltd to challenge the company over its destructive forestry operation on the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin.

Since taking over Sylvatech Ltd in 2005, GSP Ltd is the operator of a forestry project on Aboriginal-owned Melville Island that involves the destruction of 26,000 hectares of native forest for the establishment of woodchip plantations. An introduced acacia species is being used to replace the native forests.

Protesters urged shareholders and investors – including banks like Westpac that portray themselves as environmentally responsible – to block GSP’s plans for a massive expansion of the project that would result in up to 80,000 hectares of pristine native forest being destroyed – over 10% of the area of the Tiwi Islands.

Protest spokesperson Mr Rob Versluis of the WA Forest Alliance said that recent published scientific research had highlighted the impacts of the forestry project on the Tiwi Island’s internationally significant ecosystems and native wildlife species:  ‘This [forestry] development targets the tallest and most well developed eucalypt forest environments, which are especially favoured by the brush-tailed rabbit rat and much used by many other mammal species...[T]his development will substantially reduce the status of these mammal species on this island stronghold.’   (Firth et al, 2006)

“We are also deeply concerned at what appears to be very serious breaches by the forestry project of its legally-binding environmental management conditions, set down by the Commonwealth Environment Minister in 2001.

“The Audit and Compliance Section of the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage has now launched an investigation into the alleged breaches.  If proven, the company could be looking at very substantial fines, rehabilitation costs and possibly suspension of the project.

“Although this project is supported by the Tiwi Land Council (TLC) there is a lot of concern amongst the Island’s Indigenous community, as reflected in a recent petition to the Federal government signed by almost 500 Islanders calling for an inquiry into the running of the TLC and its land use decisions.

“The forestry project – underway now for over 4 years – appears to have delivered few benefits to the Island’s Indigenous community.  As at November 2006 only one Indigenous person was employed full time on the project, with another 2 part time employees – out of a permanent workforce of about 60.

“GSP has boasted in media releases and annual reports about what a great deal it is getting on the Tiwi Islands, stating that it is leasing the land at a ‘significant discount’ compared to land in its traditional southern growing areas – and saving itself ‘$40million a year’ in the process.

“It would be shocking if a company like GSP thought it could get away with destroying forests of such high conservation value and such great cultural importance by claiming that it is benefiting Indigenous people.  There are many much more effective and sustainable ways of helping Indigenous communities secure their economic and cultural future than by turning their rich and beautiful forests into woodchips.”