Promises on WA forests broken
By Grant Coleman
PERTH — A state government decision to hand $2 million to a private company to reopen a defunct sawmill has blown a giant hole in Liberal Premier Richard Court's claims to be a defender of WA's old-growth forests.
The handout will enable the Blueleaf Corporation to reopen Whittaker's sawmill, which closed in 1999 owing $3.6 million in unpaid royalties to the Department of Conservation and Land Management.
When Court announced changes to the regional forest agreement in July, he framed them as a genuine attempt to bring logging practices into line with public opposition to logging. But the agreement has proved unable to prevent the further destruction of the old-growth forests.
The agreement protects 9000 hectares of old-growth karri and karri-tingle forest. But it also approves the logging of a further 90,000 hectares of forest, including 5000 hectares of Karri and tingle forest and 85,000 hectares of jarrah forest.
Jarrah timber continues to be used for low-quality products such as charcoal, sawdust and railway sleepers. Royalties on timber from the old growth forests have also fallen, once again contradicting the premier's promises.
Resistance member Jane Armanasco told Green Left Weekly, "The government should have directed the royalties to those who lost their jobs in the closure of the Whittaker's sawmill. These workers were used to whip up anti-conservation sentiment, but were given little financial assistance."
Newly released figures show that a Court commitment to hasten the switch from old-growth forests to pine plantations isn't happening: thousands of mature plantation pine trees remain standing while ancient jarrah and karri trees are being felled.
The government report also shows that WA could now double annual production of pine-sawn timber, and create jobs.
Armanasco pointed out: "More than 80% of Western Australians believe old-growth logging must stop. This sentiment must not remain unexpressed. It needs to be shown in public demonstrations and protests, as it was last year."
A rally is being organised by the Wilderness Society, the WA Forest Alliance and the Conservation Council of WA on March 14 at 12.30pm outside Parliament House.