The Tasmanian Greens today congratulated the people of Tasmania, and especially the people of George Town and Burnie, after Forestry Minister Bryan Green today revealed in Parliament that the current load of whole pine logs destined for export from Bell Bay and Burnie will be the last planned shipment, and that any further shipments will only occur after public consultation and economic modelling.

Greens Member for Braddon, Paul ‘Basil’ O’Halloran MP, said the backdown from the Minister and Forestry Tasmania, who had originally planned at least three shiploads of pine logs, is vindication for all those Tasmanians who objected to the plan to fumigate and then export these whole logs.

Mr O’Halloran also rejected dishonest allegations that the Tasmanian Greens have not been active on this issue, pointing out that it was first raised in Parliament by the Greens and has been pursued vigorously by the Party ever since.

“The decision to make this current shipload of logs the last without consultation is a big win for people power in Tasmania and especially Burnie,” said Mr O’Halloran.

“This is vindication for all those people who thought the plan to fumigate at Bell Bay, and then at Burnie, was unsafe and that the export of whole logs to China was uneconomic.”

“The Tasmanian Greens first raised this issue on behalf of the people of George Town and Burnie, and we have been pushing the Labor Government and Forestry Tasmania about it ever since.”

“Congratulations must go to the people of Tasmania, especially those living in George Town and Burnie, for making it clear to the Labor Government and Forestry Tasmania that the plan to fumigate and then export shiploads of whole logs to China was unacceptable,” said Mr O’Halloran.

Meanwhile ... Forestry Tasmania, 11.58am:

Good afternoon all,
Given the interest around the export to China of low quality export logs, we thought we would let you know that the MV Black Sea loaded timber at Bell Bay yesterday and will begin loading at Burnie today.
We are advised it will take up to 48 hours to complete loading. It will then be taken 3.7km out to sea for fumigation, and return to port about 48 hours later, where some of the logs will be unloaded for testing by AQUIS.
It will then load eucalypt which does not require treatment before departing for China.
The cargo will consist of about 10,000 cubic metres of low quality pine peelers from plantations on the West Coast and the North East, about 5,000 cubic metres of pine thinning from various plantations, about 1,000 cubic metres of pine from private growers, and about 13,000 cubic metres of pulpwood quality hardwood.
When a pine plantation is harvested, all logs are segregated. The sawlogs were sold to North east sawmills, some pulpwood was sold to Norske Skog and the remainder which has no local market is being exported. This process minimises waste.
Pine plantations are managed to grow sawlogs. The thinnings are trees removed so the remaining trees in the plantation grow more quickly into sawlogs –pretty much the same way as home gardeners might thin a row of carrots.
Over the next 12 months, we expect 30,000 to 40,000 cubic metres of this low quality material to be available for export, about three partially loaded ships.
Given the concern over fumigation, FT will look for alternative ways to export this material, to avoid or minimise the use of methyl bromide.
Each shipment is worth about $1.5m to forest contractors, maintaining about 350, full time jobs.
These shipments are not being subsidised by the Tasmanian Government.
Best regards,

Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
Media officer

Meanwhile, the word gets around…

Shipments provide extra work for contractors
The Tasmanian Forest Contractors Association has welcomed an undertaking by Forestry Tasmania to review contract rates for export shipments of whole logs.
Chief Executive Officer Ed Vincent said there was growing confidence that the Chinese market would accept more of Tasmania’s lower quality pulpwood, and that’s good news for contractors.
“We are very much in a market development phase at the moment. We have had one successful shipment and a second is now being loaded.
“Given the success, FT is now reviewing the rates paid to contractors for these export shipments as more data becomes available, and there’s a strong likelihood that the rates will rise before the next shipment is due.”
Forestry Tasmania’s General Manager Operations Paul Smith confirmed the review was underway.
“At the outset, we gave a commitment to contractors that the rate would be looked at when the costs of preparing these logs for exports became known.”
Mr Smith said the export logs would be dealt with independently of the annual review of the general harvesting and cartage rates which had just been completed.
“The annual review of general rates is adjusted according to a range of indices including the cost of fuel, wages, tyres and machinery. This year’s review resulted in a slight reduction, but a rise is expected at the end of the month when the quarterly adjustment for changes in fuel prices is undertaken.
Mr Smith said as the industry recovers from the shakedown, it was important for all sectors to work together to achieve the best possible outcomes.
“These new markets are creating additional work, and we will work with contractors association to ensure contractors receive a fair share of the rewards from a recovering industry.”
From,
Media inquiries:
Xx Xxxxxx, Tasmanian Forest Contractors Association
Corporate Relations, Forestry Tasmania

And,

ARE TA ANN MILLS TREATING WORKERS UNFAIRLY?
Minister Must Investigate
Kim Booth MP
Greens Forestry spokesperson
Thursday, 8 July 2010

The Tasmanian Greens today called on Forestry Minister Bryan Green to investigate allegations that foreign workers at the Ta Ann veneer mills in the Huon Valley and at Smithton are being forced to work shifts of three weeks on, one week off, with the week off spent by Southwood workers bussing north to work in the Smithton facility and the Smithton workers bussing south for the week to work in the Southwood facility.

Greens Forests spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the Minister, who himself once worked as a union representative for mill workers, must ensure that wages and conditions are equal for all timber workers in Tasmania, or explain why his government are allowing the exploitation of foreign timber workers in Tasmania.

Mr Booth also dismissed Minister Green’s excuse to Parliament today, that it is “often difficult to find people to work in the [Ta Ann] mills”.

“The Forestry Minister must investigate whether foreign workers in Ta Ann’s Smithton and Southwood mills are being exploited by being forced to spend their one week off working in the company’s other mill,” said Mr Booth.

“Wages and conditions should be equal for all timber workers in Tasmania.”

“Massive public subsidies have been poured into Forestry Tasmania and the so-called ‘new forest industry’ on the pretext of creating jobs.”

“There are hundreds, if not thousands, of unemployed timber workers all over Tasmania who would jump at the chance to work in a timber mill, but who are not working at Ta Ann’s mills because the company is getting a far better, and some would say unfair, deal through the employment of foreign workers.”

“The use of work visas to get foreign workers to do jobs at the Ta Ann mills, jobs that Minister Green says Tasmanians do not want, plus the massive subsidies and the huge volume of logs being exported highlights the fact that the timber industry has not delivered the jobs that the industry claimed would flow from the subsidies and the access to our forests.”

“If the Ta Ann workers are indeed being forced to spend their week off working in the company’s other mill then the Minister should take immediate action and ensure that all timber workers in Tasmania are employed under fair working conditions, or explain why his government is turning a blind eye to the exploitation of workers,” said Mr Booth.

Log ship a ‘floating gas chamber’
Tasports had been planning to treat pine logs destined for China at the Burnie port, using 1.5 tonnes of the toxic gas.

But an outcry by residents means it will now happen out to sea, probably some time this weekend.

The International Transport Workers Federation says fumigating a ship’s hull at sea is against International Labor Organisation requirements.

The Federation’s Dean Summers says the Chinese crew and two Tasports employees on board will be in serious danger.

“This is a floating gas chamber. Locked up in the accommodation for 72 hours and not allowed out in the fresh air? It’s irresponsible and it’s reckless,” he said

He says the fumigation should happen while the ship is docked and the crew given accommodation on shore.

Story HERE