Mar 25
Ta Ann: Eyeing Record FFB Production
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Ta Ann: Eyeing Record FFB Production
Although I might add that the recent increase of profitability of the word 'Organic' has not avoided attention... and in consequence will be to the detriment of its' intended purpose. Organic farming in Australia...is just starting out and it is very much on the wrong foot. This is why terms like 'Permaculture' have a niche need ... due to the constant necesity of being 'very very very very very' specific. If you define 'Organic'... simply as 'not using chemical fertilizers or poisons. Then you will get a budding grower showing up on National Tv.... saying "we make all of our compost on site"... "what we do is... truck in all of the ingredients... and mix them up right here! on site"... "the wood chips are especially good" Yeah... where did they come from..?.A fucking forest dip shit. There shouldn't be anything Organic about deforestation. But alas the standards of the term somehow manage to slip for the sake of riding a wave of profit, based on good will and health concern alone. Tasmania is being deforested... well actually if you have the time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhr44uxVHeE&list=UUIAjcpFKdImXvpOr1Z_vwvw But I will summarize... The Malaysian (you might not know anything about Indo-Malaysia, but when it comes to nature conservation, you just probably don't want to know)... Company Ta Ann... only needs one mill, to have such a devistating impact:
*Ta Ann Tasmanian vineer mill, based on the edge of the forest… has been reported to use timber of high conservation value… which has been documented here and reported by forestry tasmania Throughout negotiations they continue to do so Ta Ann exports the shredded remains of trees to Japan on the pretense that it is PLANTATION//Regrowth and SUSTAINABLE/Environmentally Friendly *They are a Government (business enterprise) supported company and record losses of 10-Million a Year… meaning Tax Payers are covering costs of this unsustainable practice of an un-economically viable industry, that is apparently costing the company Money to run!!! What a public service! Ta Ann Official http://taanntas.com.au/ Ta Ann Proper http://taann.net/who-is-ta-ann/
Environmentalists concern over world heritage logging and Ta Ann wood supply
Media Release 28th Feb 2013 -The proposed ongoing logging of forests nominated for World Heritage listing has been revealed today in the Legislative Council by the Federal Environment Department, a matter of serious concern that provoked production of a special report by Huon Valley Environment Centre and others, followed by forest protest action last week. The officials disclosed that the State Government is seeking excisions from the nominated world heritage value forests so as to continue logging these areas, a completely unacceptable approach to fulfilling environmental obligations. The Huon Valley Environment Centre also urged caution over claims by Ta Ann Tasmania that they have requested not to receive timber from the areas inside the world heritage nominated forests, saying that it is Forestry Tasmania who need to make an official announcement that they will not supply timber from the nominated world heritage forests to Ta Ann before anyone can have any confidence that this particular source of contentious wood will not enter Ta Ann’s wood supply. Huon Valley Environment Centre’s spokesperson Jenny Weber said, “Ta Ann asserting that they won’t receive timber from the World Heritage nominated forests is one thing, but a commitment by Forestry Tasmania that they will not deliver wood from these coupes has not been officially announced. Until the guarantee that the timber from the proposed logging areas in the Huon district is given by Forestry Tasmania, the assertion by Ta Ann cannot be verified.” “Previously Ta Ann has publicly complained that they have to take what Forestry Tasmania supplies and that they have not been able to prevail on them not to supply wood from proposed protected areas.” “Huon Valley Environment Centre operates on information that is available on the public record. It has been on the public record for more than a year that Ta Ann is the key driver of the logging inside the 572 000ha area proposed for protection by the Tasmanian Forest Agreement. Huon Valley Environment Centre’s campaign has been based on official documents, but today under Parliamentary privilege a misguided attack on the Huon Valley Environment Centre implied we made up these claims and that Ta Ann was never the driver of this logging.” The Independent Scheduler’s reports from October 2011 stated, Ta Ann was officially identified as the company whose wood supply requirements are driving the logging inside this area. [i] Documents released on January 13 2012 regarding the scheduling for logging in contentious high conservation value coupes refer explicitly to the contract to supply Ta Ann, and state that, peeler billets is the limiting log product in the South and North West. They outline that: “Peeler Billets for Ta Ann is an important driver for the harvest schedule.”[ii] Ta Ann has not bothered at any time in the last year to publicly correct the assertion that they are a key driver of proposed reserves logging, as outlined in the expert reports made to the signatories and governments.” In the Huon district we report the logging that occurs in the forests, the threats to the forests from proposed logging, and we have consistently found Ta Ann as a key customer of the timber arising from forests with conservation values. In the Picton Valley a coupe that is on the proposed list for ongoing logging, PC015B is targeted for Ta Ann despite its World Heritage significance. [iii] Notes: [i] Hoffmann,O. & Williams, D. (2011a) Report of independent expert schedulers appointed under the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement. 12 October 2011. http://www.environment.gov.au/land/forests/pubs/schedulers-report-12oct2011.pdf & Hoffmann, O. & Williams, D. (2001b) Rescheduling Work – January and February 2012. 23 December 2011. As requested by the AustralianGovernment on 21 November 2011. [ii] Report of Independent Expert Schedulers12th October 2011 p7, Supplementary Report November 2011, Rescheduling Work - January and February 2012, Report requested by The Australian Government. [iii] Hoffmann & Williams, (2011a) Report of Independent expert schedulers appointed under the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement. 12th October 2011. http://www.environment.gov.au/land/forests/pubs/schedulers-report-12oct2011.pdf
Protest at Ta Ann timber mill in Tasmania
Media Release 14th Nov 2012 - Eighteen people are today conducting a non-violent protest at the Huon Ta Ann mill. Today community members are reaffirming their protest about the controversial source of timber for Ta Ann, after revelations that plantation based sources have been deemed unsuitable by the company. Four local mothers have attached themselves to parts of the mill site, inside the mill and on the entrance gate. They will remain at the Ta Ann mill until they are removed. Community members are demonstrating against Ta Ann selling Tasmanian forest destruction. “Ta Ann sabotaged their future in Tasmania by adopting an unacceptable and disingenuous business model from the outset. They misled their Japanese and UK corporate customers with false claims they were supplying plantation and regrowth timber. Whilst receiving timber from the unsustainable logging of Tasmania’s unique and ancient forests,” Huon Valley Environment Centre’s spokesperson Jenny Weber said. “The Huon Valley Environment Centre exposed the company twelve months ago with translations of Japanese customer company advertisements that claim the Tasmanian product is environmentally friendly and plantation grown, when the stark contrast is timber delivered to Ta Ann’s mills since 2006 is from old growth ecosystems and endangered species habitat,” Jenny Weber said. “The fact is that the company continues to be the key driver of ongoing logging in the high conservation value and world heritage value forests in Tasmania[i]. Plantation sources have now been deemed unsuitable for Ta Ann’s mills ensuring the company will be a hindrance to achieving an urgently needed, complete transition away from a socially unacceptable and failed native forest logging model.” Jenny Weber said. Documents released on January 13 regarding the scheduling for logging in contentious high conservation value coupes refer explicitly to the contract to supply Ta Ann, and state that: “Peeler billets is the limiting log product in the South and North West[1],” (Ta Ann Tasmania has mills in the south and north-west.) They outline that: “Peeler Billets for Ta Ann is an important driver for the harvest schedule”[1]. “Ta Ann has failed to insist on being supplied from outside of these forests. Instead they have embarked on a public relations campaign threatening once again to leave Tasmania, a tactic to try and extract favourable treatment,” Jenny Weber said “The only positive solution for the Tasmanian timber industry is real downstream processing totally based on plantation sources. Ta Ann is a disreputable company, whose parent company in Sarawak is under a dark cloud of environmental and social atrocities. Their practice of processing timber from high conservation value forests and selling it in the market as sourced from plantations and regrowth forests from environmentally friendly sources is indicative of this company’s untrustworthy corporate practices and business model that brings great shame to Tasmania,” Jenny Weber said. “The current informal peace talks between environment and industry groups could result in a controversial green tick to Ta Ann whilst allowing them to continue to receive timber from clear felling of high conservation value forests. It is no wonder that the company claims their future is dependent on the peace talks providing such a certificate of environmental endorsement,” Jenny Weber said. “Huon Valley Environment Centre is advocating for an ethical future for our communities, with economies based on businesses that promote conservation of native ecology and an end to native forest logging. We will not be intimidated or blackmailed, by CFMEU, the Premier or the Liberals, into ceasing our protests about Tasmania’s controversial forestry industry. We will not be scapegoated by Ta Ann threatening to leave the state and blaming conservationists when it is they who sabotaged themselves by lying to their customers and selling a product based on environmental destruction,” Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said.
[i] Report of Independent Expert Schedulers12th October 2011 p7, Supplementary Report November 2011, Rescheduling Work - January and February 2012, Report requested by The Australian Government
Media Release 12 Nov. 2012 - Groundswell shuts down Ta Ann veneer mill Grassroots environmental group Groundswell have today shut down operations at Ta Ann’s veneer mill in Smithton, with a peaceful protest. The group are highlighting the ongoing loss of Tasmania’s forests by Ta Ann, 2 protesters are locked onto a conveyor belt inside the mill, completely shutting down operations. A number of other members of the group are present and holding a banner in front of the mill, which reads; “TA ANN – SELLING TASMANIAN FOREST DESTRUCTION”. Ta Ann is a Malaysian-based timber company that has been accused of human rights violations and continues to destroy pristine rainforest in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Ta Ann has had logging contracts in Tasmania from 2006 and is the driving force behind the ongoing logging of old growth forests. “Today’s protest is being held at the Ta Ann Smithton mill to oppose the ongoing devastation of Tasmania’s native forests just for the sake of a quick profit.” Groundswell spokesperson Dr Lisa Searle said. “As the forest peace talks have carried on over the last 3 years, the destruction of Tasmania’s native forests has continued. The talks have so far failed to deliver any form of permanent protection and the future of these ecosystems hangs in the balance.” Dr Searle continued. “There is currently a very limited market for Tasmanian woodchips, and Ta Ann is driving the continuing destruction of huge tracts of forest. These forests are being clear-felled just to remove a few select logs for Ta Ann while low-grade sawlogs and woodchip-grade logs are being left behind to rot in these decimated areas.” Said Dr Searle. The protesters will stay in place locked onto machinery until they are removed and Groundswell will continue standing up for the protection of our wild natural state. A press conference will be held in Launceston with the group’s spokesperson in Princes’ Square, at 1pm today.
News article: ABC Online
The short video was filmed three days ago in a forest in the Weld Valley, Tasmania, where new road making operations are being conducted right now. A 1km road is being pushed in to previously unlogged forests, where a large scale cable logging operation is proposed to source timber for Ta Ann from steep slopes. Yesterday, conservationists from the Huon Valley Environment Centre conducted a protest at the site of this new logging road. Ten people walked into the forests and staged a peaceful vigil in these forests that are habitat for the endangered wedge tailed eagle, where unlogged native forest with species such as the Eucalyptus regnans will be logged along the banks of the Huon River. These new logging operations are a stark indication that there is a need for a fundamental policy change in Tasmania. The ongoing clearfelling of native forests is not acceptable. There is an urgent need for a transformation of the forestry industry and its silvicultural practices to focus on climate, water and wildlife as primary imperatives, driving forest restoration and protection. The native forest in the Lower Weld Valley is not included in the proposed 572 000ha for protection under the recently collapsed negotiations. Yet it is an intact unlogged tract of native forest which is a watershed for the Huon River. An active Wedge-Tailed Eagle nest is nearby, in line of sight of this new logging area. This lower Weld region has suffered a clearfelling assault over the past ten years, after the rapacious logging industry pushed in major logging roads, and a bridge over the Weld River. All the while, local conservationists have been lobbying for protection of these forests and conducted peaceful protests in every logging coupe in the region.
Green groups question Ta Ann's push for environmental endorsement
Media Release - 31st Oct, 2012 - Huon Valley Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened are today calling on Ta Ann to immediately cease accepting wood from all high conservation value forests and make a rapid transition out of native forests. Our organisations are raising concerns about Ta Ann Tasmania's push to have negotiations continue in order to secure a controversial green tick from environmental signatories for their products, without making a transition out of native forests. In addition we are bringing into question Forestry Tasmania's overcomittment of Ta Ann's contract, which has not be adequately resolved. Huon Valley Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened have today stated, "With or without an agreement, Ta Ann Tasmanian cannot continue business as usual in regards to sourcing wood from native forest destruction. Not only is it unacceptable in the global market, it is also no longer a practical reality for the industry. Even without any new reserves, Forestry Tasmania have massively over committed the resource and there will not be enough native forest to continue Ta Ann's current contract. The agreement has failed to adequately address Forestry Tasmania's mismanagement of our state forests in regards to over cutting and over commitment of supply." "Ta Ann Tasmania has damaged its own markets by delivering a product and a promotional strategy that have contradicted one another. A flawed environmental endorsement from the forest talks will not deliver market security. A product that meets high environmental standards is a solution Ta Ann is refusing to take," Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said. "It comes as no surprise that Ta Ann would be pushing for signatories to get back to the table, as the agreement would deliver a controversial endorsement for its product from the negotiating environment groups, despite the prospect of an ongoing supply from high conservation value forests to Ta Ann," Jenny Weber said. "Ta Ann need to take responsibility for their own business and cannot hide behind the forest negotiations. If Ta Ann are concerned about their future they need to be making the necessary changes to transition out of native forests and provide a product that matches their "eco" claims" Still Wild Still Threatened's Miranda Gibson said. "Ta Ann have come under the scrutiny of conservationists as international controversy surrounds their "eco" products containing wood sourced from verified national and world heritage value Tasmanian forests. Recently nineteen international organisations and high profile environmental advocates, including four Sarawakian ngos, wrote a letter of concern about Ta Ann's products to Japanese customers. These organisations and individuals have expressed support for protection of Tasmania's unique forests" Jenny Weber said. "Ta Ann cannot rely on an agreement to deliver them customer support, because the international expectations for sustainability require higher environmental standards than this deal looks set to deliver. The only real solution for Ta Ann is to move away from expecting the negotiators to save them from their own mis-marketing failure, and to be proactive in making a transition out of native forest destruction" said Miranda Gibson "Our organisations have been calling on Ta Ann to reveal the results of their plantation trials so the community can be clear about the prospects of a transition for the company away from a controversial wood supply. The message from markets is clear, they don't want to be buying forest destruction," Miranda Gibson said.
Tasmania stands in solidarity with Sarawak
Media Release: 19 Oct 2012 - Members of environment groups Huon Valley Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened, are gathering outside Hydro Tasmania's Davey Street offices in Hobart to stand in solidarity with native Sarawakians protesting against the construction of the Murum dam in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Ten members have stationed themselves outside the building and are displaying a banner that reads "Hydro Tas: Damning Sarawak". The Murum dam will flood nearly 250 sq. km and will displace at least 1400 native people from their traditional lands. The dam construction, overseen by Sarawak Energy, is being facilitated by Hydro Tasmania, which is providing assistance to Sarawak Energy in the form of knowledge and expertise. "Approximately three hundred native Sarawakians have been blocking the construction works at the Murum dam in the Malaysian rainforest for three weeks. They decided to blockade the routes to the construction site after they learnt they faced forced resettlement, the terms of which they are still in the dark about. They have vowed to remain at the blockade until they are properly consulted and their concerns are addressed in full," said Ali Alishah, spokesperson for Huon Valley Environment Centre. "Tasmanian businesses must not involve themselves in any capacity in a venture that is responsible for the displacement of indigenous peoples from their traditional lands. We cannot understand why Hydro Tasmania, a state owned business, continues to assist such morally unjust and environmentally destructive practices." said Miranda Gibson spokesperson for Still Wild Still Threatened. A letter, sent earlier this week, by several international non-governmental organisations to the state and federal governments, highlighting the corrupt nature of the processes behind, and the effect of, dam building on indigenous populations in Sarawak, has led the community to seriously question Hydro Tasmania's involvement in Sarawak. "Hydro Tasmania needs to maintain the highest humanitarian standards and must adhere to the highest code of conduct and practices, both here and abroad. It cannot purport to do so whilst assisting enterprises that flood the lands of indigenous peoples, displacing them into a life of poverty and cultural degradation. There is only one way forward. Hydro Tasmania must withdraw all assets and operations from Sarawak immediately." said Ali Alishah. "We will continue to highlight the plight of native Sarawakians and we stand alongside the Penan in their fight for their homelands whether it be against logging, dam building or corruption from any arms of the Taib Mahmud regime." said Miranda Gibson.
Read the letter to the Australian Foreign Affairs Minister here.