Return to forest wars looms, as millers face massive drop in native forest logs

Tasmania faces a return to the forest wars, as sawmillers – facing a collapse in native timber log supply – push for access to forests protected under the landmark forests peace deal.

Forest in the Groom River area, northeast Tasmania, protected under the 2012 forest peace deal. Picture: Rob Blakers

Tasmania faces a return to the forest wars, as sawmillers – facing a collapse in native timber log supply – push for access to forests protected under the landmark forests peace deal.

The Tasmanian Sawmillers Association told The Weekend Australian it wanted to start discussions about logging parts of the 356,000ha of native forests set aside under the 2012 Tasmanian Forests Agreement.

This followed the latest projections by state-owned logger Sustainable Timbers Tasmania showing the annual supply of native forest sawlogs from production forests will plunge from 137,000 cubic metres to 58,000 cubic metres from 2027-28.

Spokesman Matthew Torenius said the “magnitude” of the drop-off, and Victorian mills purchasing an alternative private native forest resource, meant accessing some peace deal forests had to be discussed.

“Our members have to be open to all options in that regard, faced with a large drop-off in supply,” Mr Torenius said. “In terms of what happens after 2027, the industry really has to start engaging with government now because of the lead time for investment decisions that need to be made in the next 18 months to two years.

“Without a certainty of supply from 2027, that puts a big question mark over those capital investments.”

Logging in the Huon Valley.

The incoming state Liberal government in 2014 officially “tore up” the peace deal, struck between the timber industry and conservation groups and trade unions. But in effect it preserved the deal while rebadging the 356,000ha of protected forests as “Future Potential Production Forests”.

It legislated a process to approve some logging in these forests if required, but has so far never done so, with the industry keen to avoid the mass protest, litigation and market campaigns that dogged it before the peace deal.

Mr Torenius said that legislated process may now need to be activated, potentially involving “swapping out” some of the peace deal forests required for sawlogs with other forested land worthy of protection. “That would be the first option to look at,” he said.

The state government indicated it was willing to consider the highly contentious move. “The Tasmanian Liberal government has made no secret that … land has been set aside for future use,” Resources Minister Felix Ellis told The Weekend Australian. “Where industry can demonstrate a need for the wood, we will work with them to help ensure that their wood supply needs are supported.”

Conservationists warned logging of any of the 356,000ha protected under the 2012 deal – high conservation value forests across the state, including in the Tarkine, Bruny Island, Douglas-Apsley and Ben Lomond – would be a “red line”.

Rob Blakers, The Tree Projects/Wilderness Society.

Harvested old growth trees in excess of 2.5m diameter

Harvested old growth trees (above and below) in excess of 2.5m diameter.

Recently felled giant trees (so stumps, etc) in various production forests in Tasmania. The state-owned logger has a policy of retaining trees greater than 2.5m diameter where possible, but in recent times has felled some of these trees.

“A cloud of illegality is already hanging over wood from Lutruwita/Tasmania,” Wilderness Society Tasmania campaigns manager Tom Allen said. “If Tasmania’s government starts logging forests outside the existing 800,000ha production zone, it will darken this cloud, as well as chill the markets and destabilise the industry.”

Mr Torenius said the plantation nitens stock intended to fill the void of declining native forest logs from 2027 was inferior for quality furniture and joinery.

STT chief Steve Whiteley said the substitute plantations logs were equivalent to a category three sawlog and suitable if mills transitioned their equipment.

There is already friction between STT and conservationists over the logging of old-growth trees larger than 2.5m diameter. Mr Whiteley said STT retained these trees where operationally possible, but sometimes safety meant they must be felled.