The battle to save Tasmania's forests

[rsser]

If the subtitle of this sub-forum is

"This is your chance to have your say on what ever you wish. Rant and rave. Give someone a pat on the back, or a kick their bum. ONE STIPULATION: Keep it about woodwork and related woodies stuff."

then I have real difficulty in seeing why the post with the title above was closed.

Is the sustainable supply of wood not related to woodies stuff?

If end-users won't put their oar in as well and as effectively as other groups how long will we have the select timbers to use that we now take for granted?

[Sturdee]

Recently we had a thread on " What is going on in Tasmania" and " The battle to save Tasmania's forests" which were closed by the moderators as is their right.

Not satisfied with that you again raise this subject and raised some questions.

IMHO the issue of forests is not what this sub-forum is all about for it is meant to be about woodwork and related woodies stuff. Until the trees in the forest are felled and sawn ready for sale it has nothing to do with this sub-forum's purpose of woodwork.

Obviously from the discussion in the other thread and the title of this thread you wish to save the forests. Fine, but remember that once the forests are saved as a wilderness no one will ever get any timber out of it, as happened in the past in what is now wilderness areas.

So if you win, which I hope you don't, then we will not get the timbers you are campaigning for.


Peter.

[ozwinner]

Owwh please.

Ranting about it here wont save the forests.

You have to get naked and frolic amongst them leaves and branches and hippies and bulldozers to save it.

This subject has been done to death for the last 3 years, and still all you people do is complain about it.

So get naked people, frolic, and save the planet.

You wont save the planet by sitting on your fat arses in front of a computer screen using electricity to run it. Trust me.

And for you information, Im am a greenie at heart, always have been, always will be, but I cant see whinging about it will make any difference..

Al

[woodbe]

Actually, as best I can tell, the previous topics were closed, not because they were about Tasmanian Forests, but because several posters started getting personal.

This thread will stay alive too, I'd guess, for as long as people discuss the issue without it descending into a slanging match.

Peter, I'm not sure what is worse. Being deprived of timber because it's in a National Park, or watching tonnes of it get burnt or pulped.

Regardless of one's environmental stance, it's a shocking waste. Forests have edges and plantations have prunings, so even if it were locked away, some timber would still be removed...

woodbe.

[Bluegum]

Makes sense to me Al but i don't know how many of us would be keen to nude up and frolic in the forests together. But i spose there will be a first for many

[reeves]

Good on ya Rsser!

Sturdee, I didnt think anyone could really argue that timber we use doesnt come from the forests, the 70,000 hectares set aside for selective logging of speciality timbers, the many 'minor species' cleared as a result of 'primary species harvesting. Even in 'protected' areas; the biodiversity of old growth species will see them survive long into the future and I see no problem with forests growing that we cant touch, along with what humans can use.

There is enough genuine concern among woodworkers in Tasmania, represented by the TWFF (timber workers for forests http://www.twff.com.au/) and others about diminishing supplies, lockup mentality, clearfelling, pulping good hardwoods and restricted access to suggest that it is a genuine issue worthy of open discussion and one that affects anyone who has or will ever use Tassie timber.

So i'd say its impossible to seperate the wood from the trees ;-)

And for you information, Im am a greenie at heart, always have been, always will be, but I cant see whinging about it will make any difference..

I agree whining wont help, or getting naked in the forest (might be fun tho) but consistent discussion, sharing of information learning from others, debating the issue etc all help to broaden our experiences and generate a better undertsanding of the issue, the forest and each other, so please just let the thread roll and i hope people can keep personal abuse out of it..

[ozwinner]

The only way to stop the de-forestation of Tass is if we all move there and vote the government out.
It wont happen.

The other solution is to give the Taswegians some other form of sustainable income.
Wont happen.

The Tasmanian people need other way of supporting themselves as you lot have become accustomed to living other than cutting down timber.
Wont happen.

Maybe all you so called greenies could donate half your wealth to support the Taswegians so they dont have to cut down the forests?

As I said in another thread, give them a solution, stop pointing the finger of blame.

If you dont have a viable solution for the Taswegians then stop whinging about it.

Maybe you should all stop using paper, as this seems to be the crux of the problem.

Al

[Andy Mac]

Keep the open discussion going! Maybe it has been done to death for 3 yrs, but so have tablesaws, scarey sharp and many other topics. Its a serious issue for all of us and we can and should share info, opinions etc, as reeves rightly points out. Actually sounds a bit Victorian...go about your business but don't mention the "L" word.
Oi Ozwinner, I would mind less if it was us using or reading the paper...doesn't most of it go to Japan? Sell the farm mentality.
I say use the resource sensibly: selectively log, use high value stuff, but don't go around wiping out forest just for woodchips. It might even last.

Cheers,

[dazzler]

Ohhhh Ozwinner.......they finally gotya

[ozwinner]

Ohhhh Ozwinner.......they finally gotya

No not really, Im just sick of the perennial Tassie timber thread.
All the whinging wont stop it.

And I think I read somewhere that a lot the paper comes back here as bog roll.

Im done..whing away.. see if you can save the forests.


Al

[rsser]

I actually started this thread as being about the space afforded by the forum owners to 'have a rant' about stuff related to wood, as promised in the forum title description.

If they don't want to deliver on that offer, fine. Let them announce that rants or strong expressions of opinion won't be tolerated and shut down the option to 'have a say'.

[woodbe]

Something we can all do that will help Tasmania, and educate ourselves about what is really going on rather than what we read in the paper:

Go and visit Tasmania in your holidays!

It's a great place, very beautiful (well, the bits that aren't charred, anyway) and there is lots of things to see and do for adults and kids alike. The tourism dollars will help the local economy too. If you take the wagon, you might be able to buy some nice timber while you are over. I hear that there are 'salvage' operators who are allowed to collect timber that would otherwise be burnt, and might sell you a stick or two if you ask nicely

woodbe.

[Gra]

I did enjoy the previous threads, until they got nasty, but I also agree with Oz here, the previous threads did the subject to death, and didn't get us anywhere.

From my impressions of what is happening down there, These come from relatives still living down there and from another relative who is working down there in a related industry, as well as the usual biased media in the country, is that the relationship between the govt and certain organizations seems a little too close for the good of the state as a whole.

Where I disagree with Oz is I think that Tasmania has the industry's to take over the income generation from the timber industry, the govt just seems strangely reluctant to pursue those industries as vigorously.

So I will keep an eye on the thread, just to see if any new information comes out

[Ikkyu]

Sounds like a job for Captain planet!!!!!

[Sturdee]

The only way to "save" Tasmania's forests is if the Federal government again invokes it's powers to declare these forests a wilderness heritage area, like they did with the Franklin dam.

If that happened not a stick of timber would come out of those forests for woodworkers to use, it would be totally locked up and tree or branches falling to the ground would be left to rot where it fell.

As this would decimate Tassies economy it would never happen for they would become a worse basketcase than they already are.

Already we Victorians and N.S.Welshmen are subsidising all the other states with our taxes and GST payments and it annoys me that people in states that for years have been living on our share of taxes are so vehement in causing us to pay even more.

Hence my objection to "saving" these forests. It will not give us the timber and will make us pay more as well.


Peter.