4 thoughts on “To be real on climate, Labor must end logging of native forests”
Forgive my ignorance of Australian electoral politics, but did the election give the Greens and teal independents significant leverage over the Labor government on such issues? Wikipedia tells me that Labor has a wafer-thin absolute majority in the lower house of parliament, and has no majority in the Senate.
(duplicate from my substack comment) –
I would try for much improved management of logging in native forests and winding down subsidising it over outright bans. The culture wars potential of policies of total cessation of native forest logging alone is large; I suspect even cessation of coal and gas mining is an easier sell in rural Australia.
As committed as I am to doing better on environment and climate I am not convinced this is the way forward. Like with clean energy I’m inclined to want the alternatives to be in place – a sufficiency of plantation forests – before demanding logging in native forests stop.
We are still left with a need for managing those areas in ever more difficult conditions, ie global warming.
“and just 1.16% of forest being unburned and unlogged.”
David Lindenmayer.
As old growth acts fire suppression and does not happen until trees 80-100 yrs old. New plantings act as a negative feedback during fires intensifying fires and further destroying forest.
GREAT comment. Labor showed a dark side in 1994 when they rejected forest tranches suggested by Sen. Faulkner and backed the donating companies involved in logging pulp, and woodchips in Victoria, Tasmania and likely elsewhere. They can’t take a trick on serious issues like taxation also etc…too many thugs behind the scenes pulling strings.
John Quiggin 
Forgive my ignorance of Australian electoral politics, but did the election give the Greens and teal independents significant leverage over the Labor government on such issues? Wikipedia tells me that Labor has a wafer-thin absolute majority in the lower house of parliament, and has no majority in the Senate.
(duplicate from my substack comment) –
I would try for much improved management of logging in native forests and winding down subsidising it over outright bans. The culture wars potential of policies of total cessation of native forest logging alone is large; I suspect even cessation of coal and gas mining is an easier sell in rural Australia.
As committed as I am to doing better on environment and climate I am not convinced this is the way forward. Like with clean energy I’m inclined to want the alternatives to be in place – a sufficiency of plantation forests – before demanding logging in native forests stop.
We are still left with a need for managing those areas in ever more difficult conditions, ie global warming.
“and just 1.16% of forest being unburned and unlogged.”
David Lindenmayer.
As old growth acts fire suppression and does not happen until trees 80-100 yrs old. New plantings act as a negative feedback during fires intensifying fires and further destroying forest.
And Melbourne clean water catchment.
Try to see the dark blue patches;
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-disturbance-in-Mountain-Ash-forest-in-the-Central-Highlands-of-Victoria-The-map_fig10_232257116
“Interacting Factors Driving a Major Loss of Large Trees with Cavities in a Forest Ecosystem
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0041864
Authors:
David Lindenmayer et al
…”These latter factors have resulted in all landscapes being dominated by stands ≤72 years and just 1.16% of forest being unburned and unlogged. We discuss how the features that make Mountain Ash forests vulnerable to a decline in large tree abundance are shared with many forest types worldwide.”
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232257116_Interacting_Factors_Driving_a_Major_Loss_of_Large_Trees_with_Cavities_in_a_Forest_Ecosystem
Great to watch Lindenmayer in;
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/australia-s-favourite-tree
… and see “Australia’s Panda” in his opinion, and I agree.
But – woodchips and paper!
GREAT comment. Labor showed a dark side in 1994 when they rejected forest tranches suggested by Sen. Faulkner and backed the donating companies involved in logging pulp, and woodchips in Victoria, Tasmania and likely elsewhere. They can’t take a trick on serious issues like taxation also etc…too many thugs behind the scenes pulling strings.