The Tasmanian Greens today accused the Bartlett Government and Forestry Tasmania of pulling the wool over the eyes of Tasmanian forest contractors, as well as the Tasmanian community itself, as the global decline in pulp and woodchip prices pulp Gunns and the woodchip-driven Tasmanian forest industry.
Greens Forestry spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the declining global pulp price and static woodchip price proves once again that Tasmania’s woodchip-driven forest industry is unviable, and once again exposes the lie that the industry is sawlog-driven.
Booth also said that the Labor Government and Forestry Tasmania have encouraged excess forest contractor capacity before this decline in prices for low-value wood products, and accused both the Government and Forestry Tasmania of using the contractors as political pawns, and then turning their backs when the contractors face financial and personal ruin.
“Native forest wood chips make the pariah pulp of the global market. Nobody wants them anymore because the market has woken up to the environmental damage being done by clear fall logging native forests,” Booth said.
“The Greens forest transition strategy and also the Latham $900 odd million package would have seen an end to the divisive forest politics that Bartlett Labor loves and ensured a sustainable future with timber being FSC certified and achieving high prices with much lower volumes.”
“The fact that the forest industry in Tasmania is in trouble due to declining returns from woodchips proves beyond any doubt that Tasmania’s forest industry is woodchip-driven, and that sawlogs are simply a by-product of the rush to pulp Tasmania’s forests.”
“The Bartlett Government refused to back the Greens’ move last year to set up a package to buy out excess contractor capacity to allow those contractors to leave the industry with dignity, and without losing their homes. But because the package was suggested by the Greens, Premier Bartlett and his Labor Party voted it down.”
“The world has moved on and wants these ancient native forests left to store carbon to help in the fight against climate change.”
“What Bartlett Labor does not understand is that you need to market a product that consumers want rather than an undifferentiated commodity.”
“Tasmania’s forests have been plundered for the benefit of Gunns and to the detriment of the community.”
“Millions of tonnes of the highest value minor species timbers such as Myrtle, black wood and celery pine have been burnt on the forest floor or consigned to the chip pile at Burnie to be sold as low grade cardboard box chip and the next generation will rue the day that Bartlett Labor carried on business as usual.”
“Now the contractors will pay the price, as the divisive Bartlett government thinks it is laughing all the way to the next election,” Booth said.
