New South Wales - State News - July 06

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Asian demand driving woodchip boom - ABC On-line New South Wales - July 06

Activist made bankrupt, about to lose land for $100 forestry fine Email : The Environment Network, Bega New South Wales - July 06

Leighton wins $130m pipeline contract New South Wales - July 06

Forests NSW cover-up on $6 million profit to Japanese woodchip company, MEDIA RELEASE : NSW Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon. East Gippsland and Goolengook July 06 ; New South Wales - July 06

Anger over cheap-as-chips native timber exports New South Wales - July 06

MASS RALLY AT EDEN WOODCHIP MILL A "HUGE SUCCESS". - Harriett Swift Chipstop, Eden - media release East Gippsland and Goolengook July 06 ; New South Wales - July 06

01/07/06 How many people does it take to change a bulb and save the globe? - Liz Minchin, The Age - United Nations' International Energy Agency - New South Wales July 06 ……Our highlighting

Asian demand driving woodchip boom

ABC On-line Last Update: Friday, July 21, 2006. 9:38am (AEST)

One of the country's most controversial primary industries is enjoying a boom.

The production of woodchips on the far south coast of New South Wales is at record levels.

The mill at Eden is Australia's oldest and this year will see it export 1 million tonnes of woodchips for the first time.

General manager of South East Fibre Exports Peter Mitchell says Japan continues to drive the demand for woodchips, but there are also some new players in the market.

"Everyone is aware of the potential that China presents and India and a number of other Asian countries that are increasing their paper consumption," he said.

The record production levels at Eden coincide with a move by conservationists to step up their campaign to end woodchipping of native forests in NSW.

Email

Subject: activist made bankrupt, about to lose land for $100 forestry fine

A far south coast forest activist is about to lose his land because he refused to pay a $100 fine for entering a logging site.

Things have reached a critical point for Gerhard Weidman in his battle with ForestsNSW. He has been made bankrupt and the Commissioner of Bankruptcy is about to sell his land sold for non-payment of the forestry fine.

Gerhard's fine was one of the first Penalty Infringement Notices (PIN). He entered a logging site, but harmed nobody and did not touch any machines. He was simply there to challenge the logging of the catchment that was silting up the creek that runs through his land.

However, because he was the first person to challenge a PIN under the (then) new Forestry Regulations, State Forests brought in a QC from Sydney. The QC clocked up a huge bill (over $20,000), and in the wash-up, Gerhard had costs awarded against him.
He has steadfastly refused to admit that he has done anything wrong and has refused to pay either the fine or the legal bill. The bill increased as further legal actions and fees mounted up. ForestsNSW ultimately had him declared bankrupt as a way of recovering the "debt."

Although Gerhard's land consists of 9 blocks (a total of over 1,000 acres), the Commissioner for Bankruptcy refused to consider selling just one block, which would easily have raised the amount in question (now about $40,000, as fees, etc mount up). It was all or nothing.

The land has been listed with an Eden Real Estate Agent and we believe that a buyer has been found.
The Bega Environment Network has set up a fund to assist Gerhard, but the most important thing now is probably stopping the sale. This is urgent.
Any letters or emails thepremier@www.nsw.gov.au to the Premier would be much appreciated.
regards
harriett
Secretary

The Environment Network PO Box 797 Church St Bega NSW 2550 02 64923134 http://www.enet.begavalley.com enet@acr.net.au

Leighton wins $130m pipeline contract

July 4, 2006 - 7:30PM

Construction firm Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd has been awarded a $130 million contract to build a water pipeline in western Sydney.

The contract to design and construct the 24km Liverpool Ashfield water pipeline was awarded by government body Sydney Water Corporation.

Major pumping stations will be built as part of the project which is expected to be completed in 2008.

Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leighton Holdings Ltd.

AAP

Forests NSW cover-up on $6 million profit to Japanese woodchip company

MEDIA RELEASE : Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon
3 July 2006

The NSW government's refusal to honour FOI requests has further strengthened allegations that Forests NSW is selling native timber woodchips far below market prices to the Japanese owned Eden chipmill, Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said today.

"There is mounting evidence that the NSW government is involved in a major cover-up to hide mismanagement of our state forests that has allowed a wholly owned Japanese company, South East Fibre Export, to return a 23 per cent profit to its shareholders," Ms Rhiannon said.

"In 2004-5 South East Fibre Export made $6 million profit.

"Not only is the government allowing the destruction of our native forests but it now appears that this company is being protected by the NSW government.

"Two government agencies have refused to allow the release of information about the price native South East NSW forest timber is sold to the Eden chipmill as pulp and chip wood.

"Forests NSW has refused two requests for this information. The NSW Ombudsman made a preliminary determination that the FOI application should be granted. But after a meeting with Forests NSW the Ombudsman now agrees the information is 'commercially sensitive'.

"The Eden chipmill is effectively a monopoly buyer and Forests NSW is a monopoly seller of pulp logs in NSW, so there is no commercial reason for this secrecy.

"The NSW Ombudsman's decision does not support the aim of the Freedom of Information Act, which is to promote democracy by increasing access to government information.

"The Ombudsman's office has failed to adequately consider the compelling public interest arguments in favour of this information being released.

"Polls show 80 per cent of the public oppose woodchipping of our native forests. Yesterday 600 people rallied at the Eden chipmill calling for an end of woodchipping.

"It is clearly in the public interest that accurate information is released about how cheaply our native forest wood is being sold off.

"The present woodchipping arrangement is bad for the environment, jobs and the economy. Forestry only has a future in this area if the industry moves over to using plantation timbers in value adding processes," Ms Rhiannon said.

For more information: 0427 861 568 or 9230-3551

--------------------------------------------------
Susie Gemmell
Adviser, Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon (p/t Mon, Thur, Fri)
Macquarie St, Sydney 2000
Tel: +61-2-9230 3551 Fax: +61-2-9230 3550
Mobile: 0431 458 102
Email susie.gemmell@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Web www.leerhiannon.org.au

Anger over cheap-as-chips native timber exports

Spitting chips

Spitting chips … a demonstrator dressed as a quoll at yesterday's protest outside the Nippon Paper Group mill in Eden.
Photo: Andrew Taylor

Wendy Frew Environment Reporter, The Age
July 3, 2006

NATIVE timber from south-east NSW's forests is being sold by the State Government for well below market prices to Japanese woodchippers when there is enough Australian plantation timber for chip exports, anti-logging activists say.

During a protest by about 600 people at a Japanese-owned chip mill in Eden yesterday, campaigners said the Government had failed to honour a promise made in 2000 to protect the forests, as it was still allowing them to be logged for woodchips.

"We simply do not need to destroy our native forests to meet Australia's current woodchip exports, and governments must show some leadership by making sure the plantations are used to replace native forest woodchipping," said a rally spokeswoman, Harriett Swift.

NSW taxpayers' funds were flowing to Japan's biggest paper manufacturer, Nippon Paper Group, which owned the mill, because the wood was sold so cheaply that the Government's native forest division made a loss, the NSW Greens said.

The Greens MP Lee Rhiannon also accused the Government of covering up how its plantations division allegedly subsidises its native forests division, after Forests NSW refused a freedom-of-information application for the unit price per tonne at which the native timber was sold.

Bill Frew, from Forests NSW, rejected the allegations. "The supply of all forest products, including pulpwood for woodchips, is conducted on a fully commercial, non-subsidised basis," he said.

A spokesman for the chip mill, Vince Phillips, rejected the proposition that plantations could supply woodchip exports to Japan.

Mr Phillips said that the company had tried to increase the amount of timber grown on plantations but had not been able to buy the land that it needed.

A spokesman for the Minister for Natural Resources, Ian Macdonald, said that the production of pulpwood was a legitimate industry, guided by "sustainable and responsible practices"

MASS RALLY AT EDEN WOODCHIP MILL A "HUGE SUCCESS".
2^nd July - Statement for Media

- Harriett Swift of the Chipstop campaign against woodchipping.

A mass rally at the Eden woodchip mill today has been declared a "huge success" by organisers.

Between 600 and 700 people attended today’s rally, traveling from all over the south east woodchipping region as well as Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra with a large turnout of local people.

The rally was sponsored by almost 30 local, regional, national Australian and Japanese conservation groups to urge Governments to close the chipmill by moving the woodchipping industry to existing plantations.

"Taking into account that it is mid-winter and that Eden is a long journey for many people, we are absolutely thrilled by this result," said spokesperson for the organisers, Ms Harriett Swift.

Singers, speakers, artists and musicians were highlights of a family friendly morning at the gates of the South East Fibre Exports woodchip mill at Eden.

The culmination of the rally was a unanimous resolution in favour of closing the Eden chipmill, which stated:
Speakers were Senator Kerry Nettle, Ms Cate Faehrmann, Director of the Nature Conservation Council, John Seed, Rainforest Information Centre, Jill Redwood, Environment East Gippsland and Harriett Swift of the Chipstop campaign against woodchipping.

Ms Swift said that the rally was conducted as a peaceful and lawful event, with the permission and co-operation of police. Nobody was arrested on the day

She said that the organisers were thrilled by the turnout and conduct of the rally and were confident that it would place the woodchipping issue firmly back in a high place on the public agenda, where it belongs.

The organisers estimated crowd numbers by keeping a tally of the passengers in buses and cars as they directed them to organized parking spaces.

2 July 2006

Anger over cheap-as-chips native timber exports

Spitting chips … a demonstrator dressed as a quoll at yesterday's protest outside the Nippon Paper Group mill in Eden.
Photo: Andrew Taylor

Wendy Frew Environment Reporter, Sydney Morning Herald
July 3, 2006

Bill Frew, from Forests NSW, rejected the allegations. "The supply of all forest products, including pulpwood for woodchips, is conducted on a fully commercial, non-subsidised basis," he said.

A spokesman for the chip mill, Vince Phillips, rejected the proposition that plantations could supply woodchip exports to Japan.

Mr Phillips said that the company had tried to increase the amount of timber grown on plantations but had not been able to buy the land that it needed.

A spokesman for the Minister for Natural Resources, Ian Macdonald, said that the production of pulpwood was a legitimate industry, guided by "sustainable and responsible practices".

MASS RALLY AT EDEN WOODCHIP MILL A "HUGE SUCCESS".
Statement for Media

H ow many people does it take to change a bulb and save the globe?

Liz Minchin, The Age - Our highlighting
July 1, 2006

THE world's reliance on old-fashioned light globes drains more power than is produced by all the world's 441 nuclear plants.

In the first detailed analysis of global energy use from lighting, the United Nations' International Energy Agency has found that if every old light globe was replaced with an energy-efficient one, it would avoid more than 16,000 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions between now and 2030.

The equivalent would be to take every car in the world today off the road for six years.

Saving energy would even be good for the global hip pocket, saving $3500 billion through lower energy and maintenance bills over the next 25 years.

The report shows that Australians have one of the highest per capita rates of lighting consumption in the world, using an estimated 62 million hours of electricity last year — equivalent to each person leaving seven 100-watt lights on year round.

Our use is exceeded only by Americans (101 million hours) and the Japanese (72 million hours).

Launching the book Light's Labour's Lost: Policies for Energy-efficient Lighting in Paris, the International Energy Agency's executive director, Claude Mandil, warned that governments and businesses could not afford to ignore its findings.

"Without rapid action the amount of energy used for lighting will be 80 per cent higher in 2030 than today," he said. "However, if we simply make better use of today's efficient lighting technologies and techniques, global lighting energy demand need be no greater at that time."

Electric lighting consumes 19 per cent of total global electricity production, slightly more than is used by all of Europe, and 15 per cent more than is generated by either hydro or nuclear power.

Australians spend $2.5 billion a year on lighting, which accounts for 10 per cent of overall electricity consumption and 25 million tonnes of the country's annual greenhouse gas emissions.

NSW residents can receive free energy-efficient light globe packs from retailers and environment groups, which earn carbon credits in return, under the NSW Government's mandatory greenhouse gas abatement scheme.

But there are no such schemes in other states because NSW is the only state to have carbon emissions trading.

Business Council for Sustainable Energy spokesman Richard Wise urged the federal and state governments to act on the International Energy Agency's findings, and follow NSW's lead.