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RED ALERT: TURNING OUR FORESTS TO CHARCOAL

To:
Subject: RED ALERT: TURNING OUR FORESTS TO CHARCOAL
From: David Stewart <>
Date: Sun, 04 Jun 2000 16:28:57 +1000
>From: "Dailan Pugh" <>

>Subject: RED ALERT: TURNING OUR FORESTS TO CHARCOAL
>Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2000 11:30:41 +1000
>Organization: 
>X-MSMail-Priority: High
>X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2014.211
>
>PLEASE FORWARD THIS ON
>
>NORTH EAST FORESTS NOW TO BE TURNED TO CHARCOAL FOR SILICONE SMELTER
>
>This week (starting Monday 5 June) the NSW Cabinet is to consider a proposal
>to allocate 230,000 tonnes per annum of timber from public forests
>throughout north-east NSW (both UNE and LNE) to be coverted to charcoal at
>Gunnedah, this in turn is to be used in the Lithgow silicone smelter. While
>it is good news that public opposition forced Bob Carr to spare the Piliga
>and Goonoo, the intent is now to meet the total wood requirements for the
>Gunnedah charcoal plant and the Lithgow 'Australia Silicone' smelter from
>north-east NSW.
>
>PLEASE send in an email or fax in the NEXT FEW DAYS to relevant government
>Ministers and other politicians
>(see end).  Ask that the government prohibit the logging and burning of
>native forests and woodlands for charcoal and silicon production. Demand
>that no timber from north-east NSW be used for charcoal. Make it clear that
>the government is buying into another massive forest controversy. THE
>GOVERNMENT WILL PROBABLY MAKE ITS DECISION THIS WEEK.
>
>The allocation of these additional volumes will spell disater for the
>north-east forests. It will lead to an increase in clearfelling and cause
>devestation to those numerous ecosystems and species which the Comprehensive
>Regional Assessment clearly showed to be inadequately reserved. Forest
>ecosystems well below the minimum national reserve targets will be
>clearfelled for conversion to charcoal as populations of their constituent
>threatened species decline towards oblivion.
>
>This is to be added to the existing committments for the export of up to
>500,000 tonnes of woodchips per annum (derived from "sawmill residues" and
>pulplogs) from the north-east.  The RFA gives the current commitment of pulp
>logs as 182,000 tonnes per annum from north-east NSW. According to State
>Forests's optimistic 1998 resource estimate, the identified annual volume
>for the next 10 years from the whole of north-east NSW is 252,199 m3 per
>annum (approximately equal to 290,000 tonnes). This means that there is at
>most 108,000 tonnes of pulplog grade timber uncommitted.  Bob Carr now
>intends to commit over twice this volume to his new charcoal venture. This
>means that vast quantities of timber suitable for sawing will instead have
>to be converted to charcoal. Given that most of the pulpwood claimed to be
>available in the LNE is already committed, then most of this is going to
>have to come from the New England Tablelands and the UNE (in theory as far
>north as Whian Whian and Wollumbin).  They say that they will not fell trees
>purely for charcoal, so they will fell them for "silvicultural" reasons
>instead (silviculture can be used to justify anything).
>
>THE ALLOCATION OF AN ADDITIONAL 230,000 TONNES PER ANNUM OF THE NORTH-EAST
>FORESTS TO CHARCOAL PRODUCTION:
>     WILL BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER.
>     WILL REQUIRE THE USE OF LOWER QUALITY SAWLOGS FOR CHARCOAL PRODUCTION.
>     WILL DETRACT FROM VALUE ADDING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE REGION.
>     IS NOT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL NOR ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF PEOPLE IN
>NE NSW.
>
>The next three to five days will be critical.
>>
>> Email, fax or write to the people below, and your local member. At this
>late
>> stage, its probably best to email of fax. Further contact details can be
>> found at:
>> http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/WEB_FEED/PHWeb.nsf/Members!OpenFrameSet
>> (use the full name of this site (it may not all be highted corrected on
>the
>> email), then click on the Leg Assembly or Leg Council tab on the left to
>> reveal lists of names.) Otherwise use the parliament house web site
>> (www.parliament.nsw.gov.au), go to members, then click the left tabs.
>>
>> Make sure at least the Premier Bob Carr and Andrew Refshauge, Minister for
>> Urban Affairs and Planning hear about your views.
>>
>> The most useful Email addresses are included below:
>>
>> GOVERNMENT
>>   (Premier)
>>  (Min for Urban Affairs and
>Planning)
>>  (Min for Forestry)
>>  (Min for Environment)
>>  (Ind Mbr for Dubbo)
>>
>> OPPOSITION
>>   (Opposition leader)
>>   (Shadow Env Min)
>>  (Shadow Forestry Min)
>>
>> OTHERS
>>  Richard Jones, Ind
>>  Ian Cohen, Greens
>>  Lee Rhiannon, Greens
>>  Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, Dem
>>
>
>
David Stewart
P O Box 256
Mullumbimby  NSW 2482
PH/FAX 02 66840127


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