Old growth forests were young regenerating forests once.

Forests are a transient item.

We have seen lots of forests literally go up in smoke over the last few years and me thinks it's alot better to use some of these forests sensibly and utilise this great resource.

I too, would like to see the return of the pre-European habitation of the apple isle so that the pristine forests and ecosystems can return....but hey Don.....it's not going to happen so we must get realistic.

I'll leave it up to our Democratically elected government to make the policy. I'm sure that they wouldn't allow a big company like Gunns to establish there unless they were a responsible entity that would ensure we utilise all the resource on their logging coupes and protect the water quality.

The worst thing we could do is to do nothing and sit back and watch our old growth forests go up in smoke. and with this climate change thing; it seems even more probable. Then we would be angry at these "preservationists". They would then be the enemy of the people. I won't get personal and say that you are what your initials allude to.

So Don, we elect the government so we get what we deserve. If we don't like 'em, we boot 'em out. Simple as that.

While I support maintaining high conservation value forests in Tassie, and would like to see more of Tassie's old growth forests protected, I think that the focus on Tassie is slightly misplaced.

Much of Tassie is already protected, partially due to efforts of a strong and well organised environment movement down south. However, in Victoria and southern NSW (and to a lesser extent, south-west WA), much of the pristine, old growth forest remains unprotected. Indeed, logging operations are partially responsible for the near extinction of Victoria's fauna emblem, the Leadbeater's possum.

Tasmainia's forests are important, and should be further protected. But much of the region is already safe from loggers. Meanwhile, environmental degradation occurs in NSW and Victoria, and people seem not to notice.

"So Don, we elect the government so we get what we deserve. If we don't like them, we boot them out."

That's after they've done irreparable damage to the environment and human health. An additional problem is that currently, both major parties are environmental vandals. That's been proven in the state of WA.

The giant Alcoa refinery in WA has destroyed people's lives. Already 200 hundred families have applied to have their homes bought out by Alcoa to escape a mix of some 260 chemicals pervading Yarloop in the once beautiful south west. The vandals in the West Australian government are permitting Alcoa's expansion which will double the current operations.

Don would have been heartened to learn that US public health crusader, Erin Brockovich is currently in WA and set to sue Alcoa over allegedly poisoning communities for a decade, near Alcoa's Wagerup refinery. She is working with a legal firm that is looking at taking a class action against the mining giant.

Only last week, the premiere of "Something in the Air" was shown in the polluted area of Kwinana where some 75 dignitaries attended, though the most ignorant invitees, namely politicians, were notable by their absence.

Well-researched environmentalists have claimed that Kwinana citizens have the highest rate of cancer in the state from industrial pollution and that a Health Department graph showing this to be the case, had mysteriously "disappeared."

Currently in WA a parliamentary enquiry committee,over the lead poisoning of Esperance residents and their environment, is set to bring down their findings over this ignominious affair where "regulators" and industry, in their quest for profit, knowingly failed to protect citizens and their eco-systems.

Our regulatory standards in this developed nation are of a third world standard. Current federal and state politicians are simply short-termed, ill-informed administrators!

Keep up the good work, Don. Those who oppose you, are simply asleep at the wheel.

Those who threaten job losses in a bid to further pollute and desecrate, have little knowledge of history where jobs losses have always occurred.

When one door closes, another opens!

Yeah thats the problem with these idiots in canberra, only come out when it is to benefit themselves and their party.

they are there for us the people and they should be accountable and come out and see what happens in the real world.

These are problems that we know but our pollies just shy away.
They say enviroment but then they talk jobs, either way you can lose unless balance is found.

Stuart Ulrich
Independent Candidate for Charlton

if you don't like the results this political system continually generates,and you are too lazy, or too ignorant, to change the system- shouldn't you be silent,lest people laugh at you?

In Western Australia Alcoa has spent a great deal of time and effort into rehabilitating the landscapes that are degraded through mining operations. The mining industry conclusions were that you can rehabilitate virgin forest or bush to farm land but you can't rebuild virgin forest.

Academic foresters are on record saying that forestry research has been undertaken over too small a timeframe and too small an area for any real conculsions to be drawn. When you realise that forest can be redefined as low preservation value at the stroke of a pen you absolutely must question the actions of Gunns and other foresters in Australia's old growth forests