The report on bushfire management just released by the Victorian Parliament's Environment and Natural Resources Committee demonstrates what a bunch of out-of-touch turkeys these politicians are. They want to massively increase the amount of native vegetation which is burned each year even though there is no scientific evidence to demonstrate that it will make Victoria safer. Here's a quote from it's report:
The Committee notes that its recommendation for a substantial increase in prescribed/ecological burning may have a significant impact on the community and require a cultural change in some community attitudes. It believes this increased level of prescribed burning will be of such benefit to the environment and the Victorian community that a unified commitment to promoting this change is essential.
What a bunch of pyromaniacs!!!!!
Tags:
bushfires, politicians, prescribed burns
Posted at: 06:09 PM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
While a variety of options are being considered to power the proposed desalination plant near Wonthaggi, it seems most likely that the plant will be powered by electricity generated in the La Trobe Valley (making a mockery of any State Government claims to being aware of the need to reduce carbon emissions).
Options such as wave and tidal power could provide the required electricity for the plant, as could a natural gas-fired generating facility. It's unlikely that wind generators could provide sufficient electricity to ensure continuous operation.
But the most likely outcome (if the desal plant goes ahead) is for an overhead power line to be constructed from the existing 220kV line at Tynong North, past Cora Lynn, Catani, Yannathan, Nyora, Woodleigh, Kernot, Almurta, Glen Forbes, Woolamai and down to the plant at the coast.
It's not feasible for the transmission line to be underground so if this option is chosen, pylons will march down the Bass Valley.
Tags:
desalination plant, pylons
Posted at: 11:44 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
Victoria's Environment Minister Gavin Jennings has responded to concerns that the recent Strzelecki Ranges 'cores and links' deal will lead to the fragmentation and destruction of sensitive rainforest.
The Government's announcement was not in line with the original Heads of Agreement signed between the State Government, Hancock Victorian Plantations, Australian Paper, Trust for Nature and community representatives in October 2006.
Friends of the Gippsland Bush spokesperson, Susie Zent said the new agreement did not honour the original point of the cores and links project, to connect the Gunyah Gunyah rainforest with the Tarra Bulga National Park.
The State Government will pay $5.5 million plus 'in-kind' support to HVP and it says that an extra 15,000 hectares of bushland will be protected, with 1500 hectares subject to a one-off harvest by HVP. At this stage no detail has been provided to show which areas will be logged and as local groups were excluded from the final negotiations, there are major concerns that even the most sensitive areas are at risk.
Minister Jennings said it was clear two months ago that an agreement between the government, HVP and the environmental groups could not be reached.
'The difficulty was that negotiations had...
Tags:
cores and links, hancock victorian plantations, logging, rainforest, strzeleckis
Posted at: 07:31 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
The $5.5 million Strzelecki buy-back has not been universally accepted as a good outcome.
Friends of the Earth believe that the 'deal' is a blatant ripoff. Forest campaigner Anthony Amis has put a few figures together. The 1500ha to be logged in the Cores & Links represents 7.5% of Hancock's hardwood and 22% of their ash. The 1500ha means 2.2 years worth of pulp to the AP mill at Maryvale.
The tragedy is that the supposed shortfall Hancock was banging on about could be a myth and there is no real need for any logging in the Cores & Links.
As of 2006 Hancock had 6772ha of mt ash. This was supposed to supply the mill until 2013 when the bluegum kicks in.
Logging at a rate of 600ha (with a volume of 500m3/ha) a year, to meet AP contracts from 2006 to 2013 means 4800ha of ash would have be logged. that leaves almost 2000ha not going into AP mill for pulp - maybe going to sawmills? That represents 1,000,000m3 of pulplogs (just over 3 years supply to the mill which could easily accomodate the hoa proposal)
As of 2006 hancock had 9442ha of bluegum. this was supposed to...
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Tags:
hancock, logging, strzelecki rainforest
Posted at: 07:00 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
