[Greens-Media] Loggers' greed: they have themselves to blame

[Oquist, Ben (Sen B. Brown)]

Tuesday, 9th August 2005

Loggers' greed: they have themselves to blame 

Brown predicts push for even lower royalties


The logging industry's greed and the two big political parties are
squarely to blame for the job losses in Tasmania, Greens Senator Bob
Brown said today.

"But, wait for it, Gunns and Forestry Tasmania will use this downturn to
call for even lower royalties," Senator Brown said.

"Since woodchipping arrived in 1970, over 100 small sawmills have been
closed in Tasmania, local communities have been abandoned by the
industrial loggers and 20,000 jobs shed.

Now, despite $150 million taxpayers' money injected into the loggers'
domain by Canberra and Hobart this year, more jobs are going.  Every
industry analyst predicted the "wall of wood" hitting world markets as
massive bluegum plantations, the size of Tasmania, in South America come
to production and swamp the Asian markets. 

"Only the Greens put forward a transition policy to restructure the
industry into special products, with downstream  processing here in
Tasmania and new job rich opportunities based on keeping our wild
forests intact" Senator Brown said.

"The CFMEU and Timber Communities Australia (which is funded by the
corporate loggers) have aided and abetted the head-in-the-sand attitude
now leaving workers to be sacked.  

"Next year's state election will give voters a clear choice between the
old parties who failed to restructure industrialised logging and the
Greens' job-rich plan for Tasmania, capitalising on the island state's
clean, green brand.  Labor and Liberal were wrong on the Franklin and
Wesley Vale and they are wrong again," Senator Brown said. 

Further information: Ben Oquist  02 6277 3170, 0419 704 095