logo
Loggers fell old, native forests on Australian island

Loggers fell old, native forests on Australian island

Time of India29-05-2025
Image: TOI
LONNAVALE; On the edge of a dense forest on a rugged Australian island, an enormous stump rises from the ground -- all that remains of a eucalyptus tree that towered into the canopy for centuries.
As wide as two dining tables, and standing above head height, it is the by-product of a logging industry carving its way through swaths of native forest in the island state of Tasmania.
"We're standing on a stump that's 500 years old. That tree was so, so old," said Jenny Weber, campaign manager at the Bob Brown Foundation environmental group.
"The tragedy of this one right in front of us is that it was cut down, and then it was too big to cut up into pieces and put on a log truck," Weber said in Huon Valley's Grove of Giants, west of Hobart.
Cutting down the tree was "shocking, just absolutely shocking", she said.
In Tasmania, cutting down native trees is legal, despite its impact on wildlife and the environment.
With half of its 68,000 square kilometres (26,000 square miles) blanketed in forest, the island is an exception in the dry continent of Australia.
It is also the state that fells the highest share of native trees -- 18.5 percent in the year to June 30, 2023, compared to a national average of 10 percent, according to government figures.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
40대 이상이고 PC가 있으세요? 그럼 이 게임을 정말 좋아하실 거예요!
Sea of Conquest
플레이하기
Undo
South Australia has protected native forests since the late 19th century, while Victoria and Western Australia have banned the logging of native trees since 2024.
- 'The species disappears' -
In Tasmania, there are calls for the state to stop cutting down native forest too.
More than 4,000 people marched through the streets of the state capital Hobart in March, demanding an end to the practice.
In the crowd of protesters, some dressed as endangered animals, like the Tasmanian devil, an endangered marsupial, or the even scarcer swift parrot.
The broad-tailed parrot is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which cites the clearance of eucalyptus trees that provide its breeding habitat in Tasmania.
"These birds need the hollows formed in old trees to breed. If there are no hollows, there's no nest, so no chicks, and finally the species disappears," said Charley Gros, a French ecologist and scientific adviser to the Bob Brown Foundation.
Sustainable Timber Tasmania is the state-owned organisation responsible for managing 812,000 hectares (2 million acres) of public production forest.
It aims to harvest timber while "balancing conservation and responsible land management", an official at the state forest manager told AFP.
Its latest annual report says it harvests "around 6,000 hectares of native forest - less than 1 percent of our total managed land" annually.
Suzette Weeding, the firm's general manager for conservation and land management, said it runs a programme to monitor endangered swift parrots.
This "comprehensive approach" allows "adaptive forest management," Weeding told AFP, "minimising potential disturbance to the species and its habitat".
- Shooting marsupials -
Sustainable Timber Tasmania's report said it sowed 149 million seeds across 5,000 hectares to "regenerate native forest" in the year to June 30, 2024.
In the same period, official data show more than 70 percent of the native trees felled in Tasmania were turned into wood chips -- much of it for export to China and Japan for production of paper, cardboard or toilet paper.
The environmental cost does not figure, however, in the logging industry's balance sheet.
According to government figures, the value of native hardwood harvested in Tasmania in 2022-2023 was Aus$80 million (US$51 million).
Census data showed fewer than 1,000 people employed in the state's forest industry in 2021.
Weber is not convinced of Sustainable Timber Tasmania's environmental credentials, pointing to a recently felled area of forest where only charred stumps remain.
To clean the area before replanting, the loggers drop incendiaries from helicopters, producing toxic fumes, she said.
Once new tree seeds sprout, marsupials such as wallabies, possums and pademelons seek out the shoots for food, Weber said.
"Forestry has people to shoot those animals and kill them so they don't actually eat the baby shoots of the trees that they want to grow for more logging in the future."
Only eucalyptus trees are replanted, she added, without the other native species such as myrtles and sassafras that once grew under the canopy.
"Eucalyptus are Australian but eucalyptus can't live to their full life by themselves in a tree farm."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Sita's birthplace to get Ayodhya-like makeover'
‘Sita's birthplace to get Ayodhya-like makeover'

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

‘Sita's birthplace to get Ayodhya-like makeover'

Patna: CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday inspected the site of the approved comprehensive development plan for the Shri Janki Janmabhoomi Mandir area at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi district, widely believed to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita. Before reaching Punaura Dham, the CM inaugurated development projects worth around Rs 650 crore in Madhubani district. During the site visit, officials briefed Nitish on the facilities that will be created for devotees by the tourism department within the temple complex, preparations for the foundation stone laying ceremony on Aug 8 and the broader development plan for the Shri Janki Janmabhoomi Mandir area. The plan is modelled on the overall redevelopment of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra in Ayodhya. Nitish said the Shri Janki Janmabhoomi at Punaura Dham would witness comprehensive development on the lines of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. Issuing instructions to officials, the CM stressed the importance of developing religious rituals, facilities for pilgrims and general amenities at the Maa Janki Mandir premises. "The old structure of the Maa Janki Temple building will be preserved as it is," a communique from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3 & 4 BHK Starts ₹1.65 Cr in Kukatpally Honer Signatis Book Now Undo The foundation stone for the Rs 882-crore development project will be laid on Aug 8. A nine-member trust, headed by the state's chief secretary, has been formed for the construction and redevelopment of the Maa Janki Mandir at Punaura Dham. Earlier in the day, Nitish led a high-profile roadshow in Laukahi, Madhubani district, where he laid foundation stones for various infrastructure and tourism-related projects. The roadshow began at the helipad and concluded at the event venue. He also unveiled a statue of former Bihar minister, the late Hari Prasad Sah, and paid floral tribute. Among the key projects launched was an approach road including a road overbridge (ROB) at a cost of Rs 178 crore, located near the railway-level crossing between Khajauli and Jaynagar railway stations. Nitish also launched a project worth Rs 31 crore for the development of tourism infrastructure at Phulhar Sthan in Harlakhi.

150-ton Sufi shrine moved after demolition notice in UP
150-ton Sufi shrine moved after demolition notice in UP

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

150-ton Sufi shrine moved after demolition notice in UP

1 2 3 4 Bareilly: A Sufi shrine weighing over 150 tons was moved 27 feet using machinery after PWD issued a demolition notice in Sambhal in June. Situated on the Agra-Bijnor state highway, the shrine was relocated with a hydra machine and a crane to free the busy thoroughfare. A few temples and mosques were either partly or fully demolished in Sambhal in the recent past as part of the ongoing road widening project. Sambhal tehsildar, Dheerendra Singh, said on Saturday: "The shrine of Yaqoob Shah Ali Chishti was on a PWD road, and we had to give an ultimatum due to road widening work." After inspecting the site a week ago, Singh had extended the demolition deadline to July 24. To save the shrine, which people from all communities visit, the committee decided to relocate it. The scientific procedure cost around Rs 10 lakh. Before the move, a seven-foot-deep pit was dug with a bulldozer and an iron-sheet box was built around the shrine to ensure its safety. Subsequently, a new pit was dug 27 feet behind the road and the shrine was relocated in an L-shape there; the entire work began in June. "We were given an ultimatum until July 24. Work was delayed due to rain. The exact weight was not known as the structure is old. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A Truck Driver's Salary in the Canada Might Surprise You Truck Driving Jobs | Search Ads Undo Upon examination, the contractor estimated it to be over 150 tons. Now the shrine has been moved, and the dargah's remaining work will be completed soon," said Ragib Hasan, a member of the shrine committee. The local administration started the process 15 days after the PWD notice. The committee also voluntarily dismantled part of a mosque and madrassa nearby and requested time to relocate the shrine, for which they were granted 15 more days. Contractor Dilshad Ansari from Roorkee, Uttarakhand, who was part of the project, said, "We've shifted two temples in Uttarakhand in the past. This is the first time we managed to move a mazaar. It was an old mazaar and we had to do it in a meticulous manner."

National Parents' Day 2025: Check date, significance, history, celebrations here
National Parents' Day 2025: Check date, significance, history, celebrations here

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

National Parents' Day 2025: Check date, significance, history, celebrations here

National Parents' Day is celebrated to recognise and appreciate both the parents. It is observed by Catholics under auspices of Pride in Action. It is celebrated every year on the fourth Sunday in July. The day is a reminder to honour the efforts of parents in shaping the development of the next generation and thereby the overall direction of society. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Public Policy Cybersecurity Management healthcare others Healthcare Digital Marketing CXO PGDM Others MCA Artificial Intelligence Data Science MBA Product Management Technology Data Science Project Management Finance Design Thinking Operations Management Data Analytics Leadership Degree Skills you'll gain: Economics for Public Policy Making Quantitative Techniques Public & Project Finance Law, Health & Urban Development Policy Duration: 12 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate Programme in Public Policy Management Starts on Mar 3, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Months IIM Calcutta Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management Starts on undefined Get Details National Parents' Day is meant to show that the connection between a parent and a child is timeless, cherished, and priceless. July 27, take time not only to celebrate and honour them, but also remember and reflect on the meaningful and often unrecognised and undervalued experience of parenthood by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo National Parents' Day 2025: Date This year, National Parents' Day will be observed on July 27, which is the fourth Sunday in July. Meanwhile, Mother's Day celebrated in May and Father's Day observed in June. National Parents' Day 2025: History This day came into being much later than Mother's and Father's days. While Mother's Day and Father's Day gained popularity in the early 20th century, it was only in 1994 that National Parents' Day was established. Live Events It was an initiative by Republican Senator Trent Lott. The initiative aimed to 'recognize, uplift, and support the role of parents in the rearing of children.' On August 5, 1994, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the resolution. It was passed by both the House and Senate on October 4, 1994, and officially signed into law by President Bill Clinton on October 14, 1994. National Parents' Day 2025: Significant National Parents' Day is observed to acknowledge the vital and irreplaceable role parents play in every child's life. They are responsible for everything from nurturing emotional development to instilling values and morals. Parenting lays the foundation for responsible citizens and a stronger society. The day encourages both public and private initiatives to celebrate parents ' contributions. The goal isn't just to honor, but to promote responsible parenting , encourage positive parenting practices, and foster stronger family bonds. On this day, events are hosted by educational institutions, governments, and non-profit organisations. These include award ceremonies like the 'Parents of the Year' honor, highlighting exemplary families across local and national levels. Parting being celebrated over the years The journey toward recognising parenting as a national celebration spans more than a century. A few key milestones include: 1897: The National Parent Teacher Association (originally the National Congress of Mothers) was formed in Washington, D.C., emphasising early parental involvement in education. 1987: The debut of Parenting magazine, which became a trusted guide for millions of American households until its closure in 2013. 1994: Official birth of National Parents' Day following President Clinton's endorsement. National Parents' Day: How to celebrate? A great way to park this day is by sincere gestures like spending time together as a family and celebrating members of your community. You can also write a heartfelt letter, plann a family meal together, create a scrapbook of family memories, or simply spend time together. Schools, local councils, and organisations may have events, awards, or workshops around the area to emphasize the importance of the day.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store