Amcor monopoly threatens Victorian forests
MELBOURNE — National Wilderness Society spokesperson Georgie Stewart, speaking here on September 16, said that Amcor's success in establishing a monopoly on the production of higher grade papers in Australia will significantly increase clear-felling of native forests in Victoria.
She was commenting on Amcor's plan to buy APPM's Burnie and Wesley Vale paper mills. The Wilderness Society will call on the Trade Practices Commission to block the sale of the mills unless enforceable guarantees are given to minimise economic, social and environmental costs.
Stewart said that the Wilderness Society is particularly concerned that expanded pulp and paper production at Amcor's Maryvale mill will involve a huge increase in native forest logging. "We're really worried that more logging in the central highlands will destroy conservation values over large tracts of native forest — areas which should be in parks and reserves for the benefit of future generations of all Victorians, not destroyed for short term corporate greed.
"We are also worried that Amcor's monopoly position will allow it to manipulate the market for recycled paper and so increase its use of subsidised, underpriced wood from publicly owned native forests."
Stewart said that the federal, Victorian and Tasmanian governments should get together to encourage new plantation-based pulp mills. "North Broken Hill should be forced to make its mature plantation resources in northern Tasmania available for paper production by Amcor in Victoria instead of exporting it as woodchips or whole logs to east Asia."
Stewart said that this measure would save much native forest in Victoria and create jobs in both Tasmania and Victoria. "And if the Commonwealth were to implement the recommendations of its own National Plantation Advisory Committee and stop clearing of native forests for plantation establishment, important native forests would also be saved in Tasmania.
"It is time for governments to take some control over the unethical and irresponsible behaviour of corporations. Just because you want to level the playing field doesn't mean you have to shoot the referee and the linesman", Stewart concluded.