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DISCOVER
TASMANIA TOURISM NEWS
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TOURISM
COUNCIL OF TASMANIA
(TCT)
ENDORSES LOGGING PRACTICES VIA PROTOCOL AGREEMENT
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< THIS
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INTO
THIS
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VANDALISM
>
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OLD
GROWTH FORESTS - WORLD TOURISM ICON
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FOR
QUICK BUCK WOODCHIPS
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OR
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FOR
QUICK BUCK IMMATURE WHOLE NATIVE FOREST LOG EXPORT
TO THE EXCLUSION OF LOCAL TIMBER WORKERS & SAWMILLERS
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TO
FACILITATE PULPWOOD (Woodchip) PLANTATIONS LAND
GRAB
FOLLOW THIS STORY AT
LAND
GRAB @ BUSINESS TASMANIA OR SEE
THE TIMBER FESTIVAL
OUTRAGE
AT TASMANIA'S FOREST PRACTICES,
by Graham Green, Timber
Workers for Forests Inc.
These logs would have grown into perfect sawlogs for
the highest value timber, given another 30 or 40 years.
Instead, they have been cut down before their prime to be
exported by Forestry
Tasmania to make plywood in South Korea and China.
Tasmanian Timber
Workers for Forests is outraged that the timber industry
has shed 4000 jobs in the last decade yet we continue practices
that are nothing more than exporting more Tasmanian jobs
and exporting our future sawlog supply.
The Koreans must be in awe of our stupidity as they are
poised to make a whole pile of cash from our premium hardwood
logs. MORE... |
TASMANIA
IMPORTS PULP FROM INDONESIA,
by Geoff Law, The
Wilderness Society - Tas
The Burnie papermill does not even use Tasmanian logs.
It imports pulp from Indonesia! It closed its pulpmill
in 1998 – less than a year after the signing of the
Regional Forest Agreement. (The RFA was supposed to provide
security, investment and jobs.) Meanwhile, on the wharf
opposite the dis-used pulpmill sit piles of woodchips awaiting
export. And there is also usually a pile of whole plantation
logs for export to Korea.
That’s why the Burnie wharf epitomises both the absurdity
and the obscenity of Tasmanian forestry policies. It symbolises
our wasted resources and opportunities. We export our oldgrowth
forests as woodchips. We replace our native forests with
plantations. We export our plantations as whole logs. We
close a pulpmill. We then import pulp. Can it get any
sillier? MORE... |
GET A WHOLE LOT MORE AT
DISCOVER
TASMANIA
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FROM MEDIA
RELEASE - GREENS OPPOSITION LEADER
Friday, 19 SEPTEMBER 2003
TOURISM FORESTRY AGREEMENT ACKNOWLEDGES CONFLICT
BUT ENDORSES CURRENT LOGGING PRACTICES |
Greens
Opposition Leader and spokesperson on both Tourism and Forestry,
Peg Putt MHA, noted that the Tourism
Council of Tasmania (TCT) has finally obtained an admission
from Forestry
Tasmania and FIAT [Forest Industries Association of Tasmania]
of the adverse impact of forestry on tourism, but remained concerned
about key aspects of the agreement, including:
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- Leaflets
excusing the use of 1080 POISON to KILL NATIVE WILDLIFE,
and the application of other chemicals, to be distributed
to tourists a public relations disaster!
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- Logging
traffic *
not to be diverted from tourism routes, but rather tourists
to be warned to be careful of dangerous log truck traffic
another public relations disaster!
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- Massive
forest regeneration
fires *
to continue,
and only events notified months in advance have any hope of
an attempt to minimise smoke
*
on the
day;
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- The exclusion
of tourism operators and the general public from rights of
objection and appeal over forestry developments to continue
despite the impacts on their livelihood, with a buyer beware
sanction of the situation;
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- Visual
screening *
of logging
scars promised for primary tourism routes will likely go the
way of the Hellyer Gorge screening vegetation which was recently
felled to the roadside because inadequate width meant inevitable
failure.
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It
is UNBELIEVABLE that the tourism industry has been co-opted
into distributing leaflets justifying the use of 1080 POISON
on our NATIVE WILDLIFE when tourists have been enticed here
to the Natural
State
*
by promotion
of our fabulous wilderness and fascinating wild creatures.
As increasing numbers of tourists in private cars come on the
new boats and venture onto our back roads, logging
traffic *
is not going
to be restrained and instead travellers will be warned to take
care and log trucks drivers expected to wave politely as they
thunder past. I am disappointed that the inability of tourism
operators to have a legal say on many forestry developments
because of loggers exemptions to the planning system is accepted,
and so too are the massive
autumn forestry fires *
which will
go ahead with the minor proviso of attempting to minimise smoke
*
when a major
event is underway.
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Peg Putt MHA has NO affiliation or connection with this web site
or the above Discover Tasmania links marked * |
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TOURISM
COUNCIL OF TASMANIA
AND THE PROTOCOL AGREEMENT
THE BUSINESSES AND ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE ENDORSING
TASMANIA'S FOREST PRACTICES
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| Simon
Currant, (TCT Chairman) |
Tasmanian
Wilderness Lodges |
| Christine
Pritchard, |
Best
Western |
| Vin
Barron, |
Tasmanian
Convention Bureau |
| Lloyd
Clark, |
Innkeepers |
| Richard
Crawford, |
Thrifty
Car Rental |
| James
Cretan, |
Cradle
Mountain Wilderness Village |
| Christine
Dewar, |
Gateway
Tasmania |
| Greg
Farrell, |
Federal
Hotels & Resorts |
| Peter
Nielson, |
Independant
Tourism Operators of Tasmania (ITOT) |
| Roch
van Delft, |
Qantas |
| Roger
Jaensch, |
Cradle
Coast Authority |
| Daniel
Hanna, |
Australian
Hotels Association |
| Andrew
Eastick, |
Region
North |
| Tony
Park, |
Cosy
Cabins |
| Richard
Dax, |
Trout Guides & Lodges Tas / Sea Charter Boat Operators of
Tas |
| Peter
Simmons, |
TT-Line |
| Karen
Rees |
Tasmania's
South |
| John
Usher, |
Tasmanian
Tours and Travel |
| Paul
Harding, |
B&B
and Boutique Accommodation of Tasmania |
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Tourism and
Forestry today signed an historic strategic agreement which will
benefit both industries and the Tasmanian economy.
Tourism Council of Tasmania Director James Cretan said today the
agreement between two of Tasmania’s biggest industries was
a major step forward.
This agreement sets down practical and commonsense strategies
to resolve issues between the two industries, Dr Cretan said.
It is the first time in Tasmania that two major industries have
taken such a strategic approach.
We now have a forum by which we can address issues as they arise.
This agreement ensures that two of Tasmania’s biggest industries
and biggest employers can continue to co-exist and grow without
placing unrealistic limits on each other, Dr Cretan said.
The key to this agreement is acknowledgement by both sides of
the legitimacy and importance of each other’s industry.
It recognises that both industries are crucial to providing sustainable
growth to the Tasmanian economy.
The agreement also recognises the need to provide more factual
information to visitors, and to the Tasmanian public, through
better signage and educational brochures, so they are aware of
what is being done and why.
The Tourism & Forestry Protocol Agreement addressed key issues
including:
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the
timing of regeneration burns and smoke |
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harvest
boundaries and screening |
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new signage to advise tourists of logging activity |
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improved warnings and educational material for tourists
using roads also used by log trucks and tourism friendly
tips for log truck drivers |
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better
information about the controls on the use of 1080 and other
chemicals to protect young trees from browsing wildlife. |
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a
process and framework for close co-operation between the
two industries. |
Dr Cretan said tourism had traditionally encouraged visitors to
travel to all parts of the State and Fly-Drive packages had been
a major part of tourism marketing.
The development of more specific regional marketing and Touring
Routes as part of the Tourism Development Framework is encouraging
more visitors to travel on routes that were once less frequented,
Dr Cretan said.
The numbers of visitors traveling by car throughout the State
has increased dramatically following the introduction a year ago
of the Spirits I & II and the volume of visitors will increase
further with the arrival of the third new ferry in January.
In the past financial year more than 700,000 people visited Tasmania
and spent more than $945 million while they were here.
It is inevitable that this has brought more visitors into direct
contact with forest harvesting operations and is influencing perceptions
about our promotion of Tasmania’s wilderness product and
image,” Dr Cretan said.
An agreement to exchange information means that in future the
Forest industry will have access to up-to-date information about
the location of tourism operators and venues and a calendar of
key regional events.
We understand that the best times of the year for burns to provide
the seed beds to regenerate forests coincides with our peak tourism
periods and that is unavoidable.
In practical terms what our agreement does is ensure the forest
industry is aware of the timing of particular events and will
minimise burns on those days in the areas those events are being
held, Dr Cretan said.
While they have agreed on ways to improve the safety for tourists
on regional roads used for logging operations, the two industries
have also agreed to jointly lobby Government to improve and maintain
roads that become subject to heavier traffic flows as a result
of tourism. |
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