|
Background Who is Gunns Ltd? Tasmanian-based timber company Gunns Ltd. has become one of the world biggest and richest woodchip corporations. It has been at the forefront of highly mechanised, broad acre industrial forestry in Tasmania since 2000, when it took over the forestry interests of a company called Boral. The following year, it took over the forestry company North Forest Products, and an industrial giant was created.
This new kind of industrial forestry maximises profits for a few private individuals and institutional shareholders, whilst keeping employment levels to an absolute minimum. The main product of this kind of forestry has been export woodchips for Asian paper companies for which the Tasmanian community can be eventually paid as little as fourteen dollars a tonne in royalties. Industrial forestry is changing the Tasmanian
environment, as forests with high conservation and biodiversity
value are flattened, burned and poisoned with pesticides and
herbicides. These old forests are either replaced with monoculture
tree plantations or reseeded with multiple native Protecting our forests. Unlike successive governments in Tasmania, it's been the Tasmanian people who have seen the value of preserving our unique environmental heritage, both for its intrinsic beauty, and for future generations. For years, many brave souls, including many currently being sued by Gunns Ltd, have been arrested, beaten, assaulted and even shot at while trying to halt the destruction of irreplaceable forests. Many Australia-wide surveys consistently show overwhelming support to save high conservation value native forests from destruction. The battle for the forests is not a new one. Tasmanians have had varying success in
forcing governments and business to back down from destroying
natural assets. As far back as 1876, there was public unrest
at the destructive logging Tasmania's first National Park was declared in 1916, and the world's first Green political party formed in Tasmania in 1972. Since then, public pressure has seen the reservation of over 38% of Tasmania's landmass into National Park and protected areas. However a strong counteracting pressure from governments and big business saw many magnificent areas of tall eucalypt forests unforgivably excluded from the reservation system because of the demand for timber resources. Despite this, Tasmanians have tasted the victory of people-power before and we will fight on for the wilderness heritage of our island home, for the sake of fairness and future generations. We hope you'll join us! What is the Gunns' action? Gunns allege that a total of 20 defendants have caused damage to Gunns' business activities. Gunns filed a 216-page writ in the Victorian Supreme Court on 13th December 2004 seeking total damages of $6 360 483.00. The case is 'industrial' style litigation, alleging conspiracy, interference with trade and business and defamation. Nine different campaigns are cited. |
© 2005 Gunns20.org
Like
many other industries, the timber industry in Tasmania hasn't
always been environmentally, economically or socially responsible,
however it used to be mostly family-based, labour intensive and
produced products most people could be proud of. That began to
change with the introduction of export woodchipping to Tasmania
in 1972, and the era of broad acre, high volume and low value-added
industrial forestry was born.
species.
Either way, a clear felled, high conservation value native forest
becomes an industrial forestry zone forever, and is never allowed
to reach maturity before being logged again.
on
the slopes of Mt Wellington, the beautiful 1270-metre backdrop
to the capitol city of Hobart.