SAVE OUR JARRAH

ALANNAH MACTIERNAN MLA

MEMBER FOR ARMADALE

MEDIA STATEMENT

24 June 2010

NO ECONOMIC CASE FOR LOGGING MUNDLIMUP FOREST

The drop in demand for timber by sawmillers means that the Government can afford to spare Mundlimup forest and turn it into Jarrahdale’s Kings Park said Alannah MacTiernan MLA.

Further, the costs of regeneration, uncovered in Budget Estimates indicates that it could well cost Forest Products Commission more to log than they earn from wood sales.

Ms MacTiernan said she obtained information in Budget Estimates that showed over the last two years sawmillers have not taken the volume of logs they are entitled to under the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) because of declining demand for their products.

Indeed two of the major sawmills are only taking 50%-60% of their entitlement and overall the demand over the last two years is down by more than 23% from the contracted allocation under the RFA.

“The Barnett Government cannot continue to argue that it cannot save the 300 hectares of Mundlimup that have been earmarked for logging because of their contractual obligations.”

“At most the 300 hectares will yield 4,500 tonnes of first and second grade logs. Yet the demand for these logs over the last two years is 80,000 tonnes less than allocated under the RFA, giving plenty of capacity to liberate Mundlimup from logging while still meeting the requirements of the industry.

Further, the Minister for Forestry has refused to allow the Forest Product Commission to release details of the costs and revenues for the Mundlimup forest. However, we were able to get general costings, which indicate that the work done by the Department of Environment and Conservation on Mundlimup would cost the Forest Products Commission around $140,000.

“This cost means expenditure is likely to exceed revenue on this exercise”

So the people of Jarrahdale will lose a quality forest for no benefit at all and despite there being no contractual necessity for doing so.

“This refusal to remove Mundlimup from the logging programme in this circumstance amounts to environmental vandalism.”

Media Contact: 9495 4877 or 0439 043 030