Rally told Minister 'caved in'
to logging company
video of the rally is on You Tube at http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ICycJXAS-J8
A community rally called to look at Strzelecki rainforest under threat from an agreement between the Victorian Government and Hancock Victorian Plantations was told on Sunday that Environment Minister Gavin Jennings had 'caved in' to company demands.
Ms Susie Zent, President of Friends of Gippsland Bush told almost 100 locals who had gathered to look at some of the forest which is now earmarked for woodchipping that “the Minister simply caved in rather than hold out for better deal.
A community forum will be held in Boolara Memorial Hall on Sunday July 27 to plan the next steps.The flier for this event can be downloaded at http://www.fourthcrossingwildlife.com/stomp.pdf
“We don't know what the Government is buying for the $5.5 million it is giving the company, because the community was excluded from the final negotiations.
“They haven't even shown us the maps which tends to indicate that they have something to hide,” Ms Zent said.
Friends of the Earth forest campaigner Anthony Amis said the deal had been given dubious credibility with the endorsement of The Wilderness Society and the Victorian...
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gavin jennings, hancock victorian plantations, strzelecki rainforest
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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
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