According to a new study New South Wales taxpayers would save millions of dollars every year if the harvesting of native timber was stopped. However, Former Institute of Foresters president Rob de Fegely said Professor Macintosh’s report was not particularly “well founded” or “well researched.” Sources: ABC News, Timberbiz
The ABC reports that the new study by Frontier Economics and Professor Andrew Macintosh, from the Australian National University, estimates taxpayers would be better off by approximately $62 million over the next 30 years.
Professor Macintosh said the study showed native forests in the state’s south-east would be better left untouched and believed one of the major benefits would be carbon abatement.
“One of those benefits is the possibility of putting some of the money associated with carbon credits, if they are sold, into supporting the expansion of the plantation estate,” he told the ABC.
“There is a great demand for plantation wood at the moment, so putting some of those resources into subsiding the expansion of the plantation estate would provide employment for the region.”
The study weighs up the economic, social and environmental benefits of ending logging against Forestry Corporation profits and local employment.
“State forest agencies across the nation haven’t really turned much of a profit – if a profit at all – since about 2010,” he said.
“I think in the most recent years you’re talking about a couple of hundred thousand dollars’ profit.”
“It would appear from reading that report that he’s certainly not trained in forestry or forest management,” Mr de Fegely said. “So, he makes some basic mistakes in how they’ve undertaken the analysis.”
He said a lot of it came down to how forests were managed.
“That debate around native versus plantations is a false one and it doesn’t exist in reality,” Mr de Fegely said.
“We can’t grow the products that we harvest and use from natural forests in plantations — they’re not durable, they don’t have the same qualities.”
Mr de Fegely also disputed the impact ending native logging would have.
“I think the numbers are undercooked — I think there are more people employed in the industry,” he said.
“The impact on the region would be significant and I don’t think we’d get any benefit.”
