Dear Kirsha,
I’ve been reading your MONA Forest Congress Blogs. They make for entertaining reading, although many who should be reading them may be put off by the girlie style.
I’m writing this letter because at the present time (and since the 2014 Tasmanian State election), you seem to be the only hope of shifting fossilised and entrenched positions in the debilitating forest wars.
What you have achieved to date offers me a small ray of hope. Congratulations!
But there is a long road ahead.
I’m a professional forester, having been associated with the Tasmanian industry since 1978. It has been a difficult and frustrating career to say the least.
From my experience and perspective I could write volumes about the failures of the forest industry. They are legion!
And so in a short open letter what can I say, what questions can I ask, that would catch your attention? Cause you to pause and think!
Public Native Forestry
Many people regard resolving the thousands of issues around public native forest logging as achievable……just find the answer!!
But there is NO ANSWER!!
The use of any public resource/asset is fundamentally about politics. The 2014 Tasmanian State election proved that in spades for our public forests.
Any attempt to find THE ANSWER is a waste of time, and deflects us from the only possible future.
Old Growth
Protecting what is left of our current old growth forest is all very fine, but never forget that todays regrowth is tomorrows old growth.
The future
The future of the forest industry (and our future supply of timber) is with the rural community planting trees as a commercial and profitable crop.
But profitable tree growing has never ever been the focus of forest policy in Australia.
The forest industry in Australia has never, ever demonstrated an ounce of commercial credibility.
So how do we engage the rural community in the forest industry as a viable commercial opportunity?
Do we have proper functioning timber markets in Australia? No we do not!
Show me a sawmiller or log/wood merchant who really and truthfully supports private tree growers! You mention Shawn Britton. The Britton Timbers website provides no information for existing or potential private tree growers. Does Shawn Britton take responsibility for his future log supply? Does he want to compete in open, competitive markets for his logs, paying private growers real market prices?
And I could go on for hours….
Kirsha I wish you all the very best, but do not put too much time and hope in finding public native forest logging answers. They don’t exist.
Cheers
Dr Gordon Bradbury
South Hobart.
Tasmanian Blackwood Growers Cooperative 