OPINION: I support the native forest timber industry Opinion Property/Sports/Opinion - popup ad by News Of The Area - Modern Media - December 4, 2023 DEAR News Of The Area, I WOULD like to thank Warren Tindall (‘Forest extinctions’, NOTA 24/11/2023) for his critique of my letter (‘In support of multiple-use forests’, NOTA 17/11/2023). I firmly stand by my sentiments and remarks. I didn’t realise that apparent credentials such as ‘skin in the timber game’ or scientific evidence, were pre-requisites for expressing support of native forests and the timber industry. Some of my knowledge of forests has come from numerous field trips, conferences and journals, but my main source of first-hand information is my husband, a third-generation native forest timber worker. For over 40 years he worked in all native forest timber types across NSW. Does that qualify for ‘skin in the timber game’? I’ll leave the presentation of scientific evidence about our ecologically sustainable native forests to experts like DPI principal Research Scientist Dr Brad Law and of course, the NSW Forestry Corporation (Dr Law’s research findings are on the DPI and NRC websites). My primary motivation in writing the letter was to point out the many benefits that multiple-use native forests provide; and the jobs and skills along the timber industry supply chain that would be tragically lost if native forest logging is phased out or banned in NSW, as it is in Western Australia and Victoria. An article in last week’s NOTA 24/11/2023, ‘Veteran sawmill owner makes impassioned plea to Nambucca Valley Council’, highlights the reality of this dire situation. A recent independent, publicly available, report by Ernst and Young into the economic significance of the NSW hardwood timber industry to the State’s economy, reveals that the North East region of NSW supplies almost two thirds of the State’s hardwood timber and employs 5,700 people. So, the economic and social impact of ceasing native forest logging is abundantly clear. The native forest timber industry has served Australia and, particularly, the North East region of NSW, well. It deserves and needs our support at this time, more than ever. Kind regards, Ann THOMPSON, Coffs Harbour
Stand with workers and the environment. The 5% of remaining Forestry workers still tasked with cutting down native forests deserve a future that benefits the community and environment. We need a package that redirects the millions in public subsidies spent destroying our native forests into retraining, new plantations, bushfire preparedness and forest restoration projects. This will benefit workers, the environment and our local community. Clancy Barnard Valla Beach Reply
