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The Forum > Article Comments > Run, forest, run > Comments

Run, forest, run : Comments

By Roger Hanney, published 26/9/2007

Conflict of interest? A recently announced review into Tasmanian forest contracts is to be undertaken by Poyry, a consultant to Gunns.

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Why use a forestry consultant now?

Somebody must have a problem with guaranteeing the wood supply to the Gunns mill, but in my humble opinion, all of South East Australia becomes affected by the recent climate change. Long range forecasting is not what it was.

On my desk is the 2003 background report “ACT Forests Reforestation Review” by Jaakko Poyry with contributions from local experts on the situation after major bushfires knocked out most pine plantations in the area. It was part of the business case for maintaining the timber industry. There are many issues covered like water catchment yields and references to all sorts of other academic studies.

http://www.tams.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/15298/forestssum.pdf

Today our big sawmill at Hume with over 100 jobs at risk is in receivership. Three Governments have clubbed together with public funds to bale out the administrators for a short period until it is sold, hopefully to private interests again.

Wood in this region cannot be guaranteed. Plantations at Tumut were severely affected by bushfire last season, native forests in Victoria and Tasmania likewise suffered extensive damage post 2003.

From experience, carbon in pulpwood can’t be bleached and it seems neither can parched lands including all types of forests provide water yields. There are very few practical studies providing solutions for these two problems.
Posted by Taz, Friday, 28 September 2007 6:29:54 AM
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Roger

There is a bigger conflict of interest that I dare you to explore. Be brave, eventhough it involves your mates.

I want you to examine whether there is a conflict of interest in Dick Smith providing a loan to Bob Brown interest-free to purchase Recherche Bay and Dick Smith's daughter wanting to develop a ecotourism proposal at Crescent Bay.

Also, Roger, I want you to examine the conflict of interest in Geoff Cousin's sudden high profile opposition to the pulp mill and his desire to subdivide land on a controversial site on the Tasman Peninsular.

And explain why have the Greens have been noticeably silent on the both issues. Do you think their silence was bought?

Get back to me if you think there is a conflict of interest in you exposing your mates and I would be happy to follow through with more reputable media outlets.
Posted by tragedy, Tuesday, 2 October 2007 4:01:39 PM
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Well done Tragic.

I presented a clearly outlined flow of working relationships, advisory influence, likelihood of outcomes directly relevant to a corporation's business interests and future earnings, and a relationship which compromises an assurance of comprehensive regulation, fair assessment, and objective governance. This is a conflict of interest.

You, on the other hand, make a poor effort to insult me and this brief piece of work as well as clearly demonstrating cognitive difficulty, given that you somehow equate an ecotourism development in Southern Tasmania to the world's largest pulp mill in the North.

Well done.

No bravery needed, just a low threshold of tolerance for people on either side of a debate who think that insinuation has any grounds for standing against fact and rational argument.

Nice mauling of language and logic in your final sentence by the way. We're very proud of you.
Posted by RH, Thursday, 4 October 2007 5:12:05 PM
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If you think I was insulting you then you are a sensitive sod aren't you. You obviuosly don't like a bit if critical questioning of your motives. I take it you are unwilling to pursue my challenge.

If you think the Greens and their ilk are not tainted by the perceived conflict of interest ala your claim of Pryory and Gunns, then you you have a poor grasp of the machinations of politics in Australia
Posted by tragedy, Thursday, 4 October 2007 6:44:36 PM
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