20 Jul 2010
Forestry Tasmania (FT) says it will no longer fumigate its logs with methyl bromide in Tasmania, after a storm of controversy over a shipment that departed Burnie last week.
Locals were outraged when it was revealed the government-owned company planned to fumigate a shipment of logs bound for China with methyl bromide at Burnie port. It eventually decided to conduct the process offshore, before sending the shipment last week.
FT's general manager Paul Smith says the economic and social benefits of the export shipment to China have been overshadowed by the fumigation issue and the company had learned from the incident.
"In future we will avoid the use of methyl bromide in Tasmania," Mr Smith said on Monday.
"Clearly, there is community anxiety about venting in port, and our experience over the past week shows that offshore fumigation can be delayed by weather and sea conditions.
"We were fortunate to be able to load additional logs to offset the increased shipping costs associated with the delays."
Mr Smith said FT would seek to find markets where fumigation was not required, and to send different types of wood to China.
"Part of the answer lies in the rising pricing for softwood pulp and we have already sold an additional three to four thousand tonnes locally to be woodchipped," he said. "Exports of low quality hardwood peeler logs will also continue. These don't require fumigation, and these shipments keep around 350 contractors employed."
“The shipment put $1.5 million into the pockets of contractors at a time when the industry is beginning to recover from the collapse of MIS companies and depressed demand for lower quality products. As we have said previously, we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to maintain work for contractors."
Mr Smith said FT aims to extract maximum value for every piece of timber harvested.
“The sawlogs are processed here by local sawmillers. Solid wood is processed here by Ta Ann. Pulp wood is woodchipped, and the remainder is available for export."
FT's next shipment -- of hardwood logs not requiring fumigation -- is expected to be in late August.
Sources: Forestry Tasmania media release, Ninemsm