LOGGING IN THE WILDERNESS

The logging industry is totally understanding of the situation in the Tasmanian wilderness. Yes, a very large part of Tasmania is locked up in reserves and for the most part this is appropriate. These places need to be left alone and the industry has little interest in them.

Largely they are areas that can only be accessed on foot and the logs to be found there are of relatively poor quality. When the logging industry is derided for wanting more and more areas unlocked it is, largely, being vilified without credible foundation.

The logging industry acknowledges that these areas are isolated with few roads into them, that log recovery would not be cost effective and that the land areas have values the logging industry is not particularly interested in.

Because these "locked up" areas are not managed for profit they are basically untidy and in time the industry imagines that the gates will be unlocked so this land can be tidied up and turn a profit. Already it’s possible to see where the industry has been because the land is tidy and the trees are all growing in nice clean straight lines.

Furthermore, while these 'reserves' are there it strengthens the arguments the industry needs to put forward from time to time. Mostly, for greater access to logs, and land, on the margins. Time is on the logging industry’s side and all it needs to do is wait its turn.

“Wilderness” is a fabulous idea and as time progresses the way it will be understood will change as will the logging industry. Change is inevitable.