Nexus - 0105 - New Times Magazine-pages

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Trees of Life Pulp Mill Plan Ord Paper Pulp Mill Plan Scheme rd Paper Scheme million-dollar plan has been drawn e agricultural production along the r and set one of Australia’s most mmmunities on an economic roller- ‘cessful, it will create hundreds of in the far north-western town of ‘a and have a domino effect which ger the development of the region’s \ral gas resources. 2 centre of the plan is an attempt to ical solution to the world’s soaring or paper. CSIRO and Western Australian ent agricultural researchers want to a fast-growing African plant, kenaf, n replace trees to produce the raw led to manufacture everything from t to high quality paper for banknotes ke F Nest Australian Minister for Agri- fr Grill, has passed on a report of the ‘e major companies - so far unnamed hem to conduct feasibility studies. cern over the destruction of forests ut the world makes the production of 's for paper pulp particularly appeal- Grill said. “An annual renewable vas kenaf could open up the way for to make significant inroads into it’s lion a year import bill for pulp for duction.” the collapse of the local cotton in- the 1970s, the Ord has been without ile“ strategic crop”. Researchers fee] f, which reaches maturity in just six ‘ould fill that gap. 2sent only 5,000ha of the irrigation ‘under cultivation. Under the kenaf ast 17,000ha would be opened up. JUST CAN'T GETS Pulp MiliPlan ¢ A proposal for a $1 billin pulp nd paper ifetime of Growth mill in the environmentally sensitive East Gippsland area seems set to cause conflict A colleague, Mr Andrew Booth, says forest between the Victorian and Federal Govern- _ marked for logging is rotated in eighty year Am ments and the conservation movement. cycles, but it takes more than a century for | up tot The East Gippsland Coalition - whose —_ eucalypts to mature. In 80 years eucalypts do | Ord R associates and members include the Austra- not develop the hollows that become homes | remot lian Conservation Foundation, the Victorian for ledbetter possums, gliders and some spe- | coaste National Parks Association and the Wilder- _ cies of birds; certainly not in 40 years. If ness Society - has warned that it will turn the While Mr Geary, CFL manager for the | new j: project into an election issue and begin a Alexandra region, defends his department’s | Kunur political campaign against it. record he agrees; “every animal on a coupe | could Forests for Jobs dies when an area is clear-felled - that is just | huger the way it is.” Al The proposed mill could employ up to 800 find a full-time workers producing eucalypt and demar business paper for the international market, Tt which would necessitate export li-enses Gover granted by the Federal Government. cultiv: Executives from AMCOR Ltd told a which meeting that the project would require the pulpn harvesting of 1.4 million tonnes of timber a newsp year in the region - far in excess of the 1 and bi million tonnes sustainable yield estimated by Ti the Victorian Government. Conservationists cultur claim that Amcor plan to establish plantations plan tc which would ‘mature’ in only 40 years. - askir Some conservationists see the mill pro- of posal as a “pay-back” to residents angered by ¢€ hina Reforestation throug the State Government's recent moves to claim fibre c more National Park land in the area. The massive forest fires which recently de- | ing,” The timber industry has also launched a | stroyed around 650,000 ha of forest innorth- | crops campaign that focuses on regeneration after | ern China cost the Forest Minister his job and | Austr: logging, which is being led in Victoria by the | the nation an estimated US$150 million. | $1471 State Sawmillers Association.Sawmillerssay | However, just 3% of the nation’s forestcover | paper regeneration could be almost universally | was lost, thanks to the China's commitment to Si successful if forest management procedures | reforestation. dustry were improved. However conservationists In the early 1950s tee cover had dropped | alarge describe regeneration as inconsistent al best, | to about 8% of land area. When the Republic | that ke and at worst, destructive. Itis acrucislissueas | was founded in 1949 the political leadership | month two-thirds of Victoria's forests can be logged, | had the vision to understand the relationship Al according to State forestry officer Gus Geary. | between agriculture and forestry. Large scale | schem Sawmillers Association public affairs | deforestationhad already begun totakeitstoll | plan al manager Mr Steve Guest claims that in East | on agricultural production. _ Gippsland some 40-year old regrowth has The need for reforestation was converted been proposed for World Heritage listing, | into the slogan “Cover the Nation With which apparently demonstrates the success of | Trees’. The National People’s Congress has regrowth in the area. monitored developments ever since, boosting Ms Linda Parlane of the East Gippsland | the program when necessary. Coalition denies that any logged area in her Forest cover has already risen to 12.6% locality has been proposed for WorldHeritage | and from 1986 to 1990, five million hectares listing. She says that a survey by the Depart- | are being planted annually. China's aim is to ment of Conservation, Forest and Lands | have 30% of the country under tree cover. Of (CFL) showed that between 1979 and 1982up | the 122 million ha of forest in China, about 40 to 40% of logged forest had not regenerated | million are human-made forests planted over successfully in selected areas. the last 37 years. NEXUS New - Winter 1988 A proposal for a $1 billion pulp and paper s ¢ S h mill in the environmentally sensitive East Lifetime of Growth Cc eme Gippsland area seems set to cause conflict A colleague, Mr Andrew Booth, says forest between the Victorian and Federal Govern-_. marked for logging is rotated in eighty year A multi-million-dollar plan has been drawn ments and the conservation movement. cycles, but it takes more than a century for | up to triple agricultural production along the The East Gippsland Coalition - whose —_eucalypts to mature. In 80 years eucalypts do | Ord River and set one of Australia’s most associates and members include the Austra- not develop the hollows that become homes | remote communities on an economic roller- lian Conservation Foundation, the Victorian _ for ledbetter possums, gliders and some spe- | coaster. National Parks Association and the Wilder- _ cies of birds; certainly not in 40 years. If successful, it will create hundreds of ness Society - has warned that it will turn the While Mr Geary, CFL manager for the | new jobs in the far north-western town pf project into an election issue and begin a Alexandra region, defends his department’s | Kununurra and have a domino effect which political campaign against it. record he agrees; “every animal on a coupe | could trigger the development of the region’s Forests for Jobs dies when an area is clear-felled - that is just | huge natural gas resources. the way it is.” At the centre of the plan is an attempt to The proposed mill could employ up to 800 find a radical solution to the world’s soaring full-time workers producing eucalypt and demand for paper. The CSIRO and Western Australian Government agricultural researchers want to cultivate a fast-growing African plant, kenaf, which can replace trees to produce the raw pulp needed to manufacture everything from newsprint to high quality paper for banknotes and bibles. . The West Australian Minister for Agri- culture, Mr Grill, has passed on a report of the plan to five major companies - so far unnamed business paper for the international market, which would necessitate export li-enses granted by the Federal Government. Executives from AMCOR Ltd told a meeting that the project would require the harvesting of 1.4 million tonnes of timber a year in the region - far in excess of the | million tonnes sustainable yield estimated by the Victorian Government. Conservationists claim that Amcor plan to establish plantations which would ‘mature’ in only 40 years. - asking them to conduct feasibility studies. Some conservationists see the mill pro- - : 5 “Concem over the destruction of forests posal as a “pay-back” to residents angered by ¢€ hin a Refore station throughout the world makes the production of the State Government's recent moves to claim fibre crops for paper pulp particularly appeal- more National Park land in the area. The massive forest fires which recently de- | ing,” Mr Grill said. “An annual renewable The timber industry has also launched a | stroyed around 650,000 ha of forest innorth- | crop such as kenaf could open up the way for campaign that focuses on regeneration after | ern China cost the Forest Minister his job and | Australia to make significant inroads into it's logging, which is being led in Victoria by the | the nation an estimated US$150 million. | $147 million a year import bill for pulp for State Sawmillers Association. Sawmillerssay | However, just 3% of the nation’s forest cover | paper production.” regeneration could be almost universally | was lost, thanks to the China's commitment to Since the collapse of the local cotton in- successful if forest management procedures | reforestation. dustry in the 1970s, the Ord has been without were improved. However conservationists In the early 1950s wee cover had dropped | alargescale“strategiccrop”. Researchers fee] describe regeneration as inconsistent al best, | to about 8% of land area. When the Republic | that kenaf, which reaches maturity in just six and at worst, destructive. Itis acrucialissueas | was founded in 1949 the political leadership | months, could fill that gap. two-thirds of Victoria's forests can be logged, | had the vision to understand the relationship At present only 5,000ha of the irrigation according to State forestry officer Gus Geary. | between agriculture and forestry. Large scale | scheme is under cultivation. Under the kenaf Sawmillers Association public affairs | deforestationhad already begun totakeitstoll | plan at least 17,000ha would be opened up. manager Mr Steve Guest claims that in East | on agricultural production. _ Gippsland some 40-year old regrowth has The need for reforestation was converted . ] JUST CAN'T GETH KENAF OF YOU... pms aan ce | been proposed for World Heritage listing, | into the slogan “Cover the Nation With which apparently demonstrates the success of | Trees’. The National People’s Congress has regrowth in the area. monitored developments ever since, boosting Ms Linda Parlane of the East Gippsland | the program when necessary. a Coalition denies that any logged area in her Forest cover has already risen to 12.6% locality has been proposed for WorldHeritage | and from 1986 to 1990, five million hectares listing. She says that a survey by the Depart- | are being planted annually. China's aim is to ment of Conservation, Forest and Lands | have 30% of the country under tree cover. Of (CFL) showed that between 1979 and 1982up | the 122 million ha of forest in China, about 40 to 40% of logged forest had not regenerated | million are human-made forests planted over successfully in selected areas. the last 37 years. NEXUS New Times Five - Winter 1988 Lifetime of Growth