Mark is still banging on the old drum about his dedication to clear felling the remains of Tasmanian old growth forest.
We are past that now Mark. The public, who own the forest want the clear felling stopped.
It is a lost cause anyway now because the world trade in pulp and chips has taken a dive and the Tassie product can be sourced cheaper from other countries that do not care that they are selling a precious resource for a knock down price.
The usual cry is “what about the jobs. Well the sad thing about life is that things change.
Other industries have had to change and divert to other ways of making a living.
The workers that were all laid off from the vegetable processing plants in the North had to retrain and find other work. It has been done elsewhere and most have successfully make the transition. The Fraser island timber industry was closed down and the work force dissipated.
Most found other work and in a lot of cases have prospered finding a better way of life.
Did the area fall into poverty because of the closure of the forest?
No way, it is doing better now then ever before by turning to tourism instead.
Here is a link showig what happened and what can be done.
Also guess who shows up in it? Our “new boy” at Gunns, Greg Lestrage, surprise surprise.

http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php?/weblog/article/tasmania-20-years-behind-even-queensland/

Give up the lost cause Mark, maybe retrain as a Greeny?

Sarnian, it might be hard for you to admit, but Mark Poynter knows more about conservation of native forests than you and your cohorts ever will. No where in any submission by the timber industry has it been suggested that they want to "clear fell the remains of Tasmanian old growth forest." They just want access to what is just a very small proportion of the forest, which after logging will be regenerated, so that in one hundred years time, your descendants will not know they have been there.

I sometimes wonder where you keep your brains, where the sun don't shine, methinks.

Sarnia,
I can only wonder whether you actually read Mark's article or simply skimmed through it, reading through very serious filters.
To quote you: "Mark is still banging on the old drum about his dedication to clear felling the remains of Tasmanian old growth forest."
The remains of Tasmania's old growth forest? Really? This implies that the only old growth forest remaining in Tasmania is outside the areas already set aside as conservation reserve of one description or another. No matter what you might think of Mark (which I suspect is very prejudiced) no one would even try to advocate clear felling forests in areas already set aside for conservation purposes - even the most hard-headed industry advocate would acknowledge that can't happen. So I am left with no other conclusion than you think the only remaining old growth forest is outside these areas and therefore potentially available for clear falling. Obviously that doesn't make any sense and I know you don't really believe that - but it does highlight the stupidity that unfolds when you direct your attack straight at the person rather than a thorough analysis of the statements made by the author.
Do you have anything constructive to add or comment on regarding the contents or statements made in his article?

@sarnian

Any one using an Article from the "Tasmanian times” to justify their argument has lost me immediately.

Incidentally, I live in Northern Tasmania most of the year (damn winter!)

This so called Agreement will be the coffin nail that bankrupts Tasmania.

Also to compare Fraser Island, (then population 100 maybe) to Tasmania (a State with 500,000 people) is the sort of rubbish that Get Up would produce.

The future employment lies in Tourism?

Do you actually live in Tasmania,sarnian ?

If you do and have bothered to walk out of your front door to speak to ANYONE involved in Tourism in Tassie then you would know about Tourism here at the moment.

If not, well, the Tourists are not coming to Tasmania anymore, haven't for at least 2 years now. It's O/S for Tourists, the way the Australian Dollar is.. Not to an Island full of Trees.

Sarnian, Did you even read the article. "Tasmanian forestry practices were found to be the equal of or better than those in most OECD countries in a recent report by Benjamin Cashore, Professor of Environmental Governance & Political Science at Yale University", but you are quite happy for wood to be sourced cheaper from other contries that have poor environmental practices. We live in one world, and therefore should be doing our part to assist in the production of a desired resouce with the least environmental impact. Everyone uses forest products such as timber and paper, and if we dont produce these products ourselves, we will import it from countries with poor environmental performance.

VK3AUU
you as most of your ilk are inclined to do, resort to personal abuse.
As for Marks knowledge of conservation, it will not stand up in court because it is allied with the current FT practice of clear felling, firebombing, decimation of wildlife Not a good way to sustain native forest.
Yes I have seen the propaganda signs along the road toTahune about how long ago this was clear felled and just look at all the regrowth now. It is spindly sickly growth that would need a couple of hundred years that it will not get, to become healthy native forest.
Apart from the fact that old growth is a magnificent carbon sink, it is also a magnet for tourists. The difference between the Tahune propaganda track and real native forest is chalk and cheese.
“They just want access”, you say. That is like saying that a bank robber just wants the key of the door for an hour or so.
My descendents will not want nor be able to live here in the desert that will be their legacy if this plundering goes on.
After all the lies and cover-ups, mates deals, corruption of due process in parliament that has gone on, why would anyone in their right mind believe anything that came out of FT or the liblab governments?

Kramer Watts,
OK lets nit pick semantics.
The only remaining old growth forest , “LEFT OUTSIDE of the conservation area”.