‘CFMEU Forestry and Furnishing Division Tasmanian secretary Scott McLean said Mr Bartlett had agreed to his request that the forestry minister would audit the proportion of timber FEA was chipping.’

‘Mr McLean said workers had been expressing concern about the way FEA’s Bell Bay mill was being managed.’

In a recent statement, Gunns admitted that they are chipping sawlogs. When they said they were going to upgade their peeler mill just outside Evandale from 50 000 tonnes to 200 000 tonnes per year, they said that they would be using wood that would normally be chipped.

How is it that these chip logs suddenly become peeler logs? The simple answer is that they didn’t.

I live in the Great Western Tiers, and we see a daily procession of logs that have been deliberataely split and sent to Burnie or Bell Bay. Despite denials, it is very easy to see that a high percentage of this material would have been suitable for other purposes if it had not been split. The thing is, at $12 per tonne supply rate for wood, and $150 per tonne for chips, Gunns do not care.

The amount of timber going into the furniture trade is approximately .02 of 1%, yet they still use this as a justification for decimating the forests. The majority of this material that goes into the high end of the market is burnt on the ground, as is the complete understorey of the forest.

Wasn’t there something in the air about carbon trading and climate change? But of course, that will not benefit Gunns! So much for ‘value adding’ to our forests!

It’s about time Tasmania woke up.

In relation to ‘oh my god they are chipping sawlogs!’, suggest McLean’s moving the chess pieces for Gunns. With plenty of pawns. A red herring type strategy - change the focus, take the heat off Gunns, the management of their mills. Risky when a look at Gunns could divulge where their sawlogs are going. As IF Gunns didn’t have enough access to timber - native or plantation trees for sawlogs – being sawlog driven! Haven’t Gunns, to make themselves look viable to run their pulp mill, said they have plenty of timber?

Oh yes, here it is –

“The acquisition will establish Gunns as Australia’s largest privately held diversified owner and manager of hardwood and softwood forest resources”, Gunns chief executive John Gay said.’

“Not only does it deliver complete control of a valuable plantation resource, it provides a significant beachhead in the mainland market and in a range of softwood structural timber products and fibre offerings to add to our very strong position in hardwood products.” (Mercury on line Nov 27 2007)

But is enough ever enough, for Gunns?

Interesting that David Bartlett, according to ‘create the pulp dream’ Mclean, instantly agreed to the CFMEU’s demands for a audit into FEA’s possible chipping of sawlogs. Why haven’t the state Labor government jumped so quickly when the public demands similar audits? Maybe we don’t have the muscle power to pull the strings?  Or maybe our pockets aren’t deep enough? Or maybe the public are least considered!

As IF Gunns didn’t have enough money to refurbish their mill(s) or is that the problem, maybe they don’t? There’s certainly been a tidal wipe out when it comes to Gunns share price. Maybe they are ‘banking’ on the value of the 20yr monopoly deal? A resource that naturally isn’t secure. Lot of risk in an asset that can fall over, burn out, die off, be used as a political football (even if at a cost of $15 million).

Securing 20yrs of timber to pulp, with 4 times as much timber required to only end up with a quarter of the original product obviously requires mega amounts of timber, and that supply, at this point in time,  is a huge priority for Gunns. – (Think about that George Harris and just where your specialty timber is being destroyed in the clearfell process).

Wood worked puppets are the least of their concern. CFMEU members (the workers) should be questioning this race for victory - a future pulped at any price.

For those directing guns maybe it’s a hollow victory, when respect has been lost. It’s said, it’s lonely at the top, no wonder why.

And just for a bit of salt on that opening gun shot wound…

Gee, surprise, surprise …. Is that Gunns bit by bit coming undone…?

“ A worker who has recently resigned from the sawmills says he has raised concerns about equipment at one of the mills that was wobbly and had bald tyres, as well as electrical boxes that came into contact with water.”

“Yeah, they should definitely know that a lot of things that are unsafe, they should be told before they actually get there because to me the mill could not handle again another double shift,”

‘Safety investigation at Gunns sawmill’
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/10/2299484.htm

‘And we’re confident that it’ll be seen as we’ve taken every step as we always do to ensure the safety of our employees’, said Mr LeStrange.’ (Gunns Timber Division)

Then WHY do you (Gunns) let mangers walk away when money is not forthcoming to bring mills up to scratch?  Why call (ex) employees who obviously care more about their fellow workers than Gunns appears to, disgruntled?

Very strange ways indeed!

Maybe Mr Bartlett could instantly jump and ensure there is a full workplace investigation into ALL Gunns mills?

Wouldn’t want anyone to say ‘told you so’……

So instead of Gunns we now have a US company taking over the timber operation and I am sure that they are going to look after us??

Up to 135 jobs have been lost with the closure of a Gunns sawmill in Tasmania’s northeast, a spokesman for the timber giant says.

Workers arrived today for their last day at the Auspine Tasmania sawmill in Tonganah.

Gunns acquired the sawmill in February.

Company spokesman Greg LeStrange today said that redundancies had been offered to up to 70 workers, while up to 65 casual employees were out of work at the mill that had been operating for more than 40 years.

The closure was forced on Auspine because the State Government, in a joint venture with a US company, gave a crucial log supply contract to another company, Mr LeStrange said.

Gunns executive chairman John Gay says the decision to award almost 300,000 tonnes of softwood timber a year to Auspine’s biggest competitor, Forest Enterprises Australia, had directly contributed to the mill’s closure.

Workers were told of the closure last week.

Management has arranged for a farewell barbecue for workers at the Tonganah site tomorrow.

Premier David Bartlett has toured the local community, promising to shore up the area’s economic and social future with a skills re-training package for the mill’s workers.