A felled centuries-old native tree has been driven through the centre of Hobart as part of a succession of large native trees removed and transported from Tasmania’s southern forests this week.
The tree — approaching three metres in diameter at breast-height — was seen on a Victorian-plated log haulage truck around the same time logging started in native forest near Geeveston, in southern Tasmania.
Images of the native trees being trucked through town — the only route from southern Tasmania to the north of the state — have been publicised by environmentalists, with one saying to “see trees that old traipsing through the capital city is outrageous”.
The state’s public forestry company – which trades as Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) – this month announced on social media that logging was underway in a coupe at Kermandie, near Geeveston — but did not respond to questions to confirm that the tree was taken from this forest.
The Bob Brown Foundation shared images of the truck and log online, along with other images of large logs being transported through central Hobart.
BBF campaign manager Jenny Weber said the public had a right to know where the logs were harvested from.
“These are public forests. These are trees that we will never see again in our lifetime,” she said.
“With the climate emergency, we’re concerned that forests aren’t going to grow that old again.
“To see trees that old traipsing through the capital city is outrageous.”
It comes three months after images of another centuries-old native tree on a log truck from the Florentine Valley prompted questions about Tasmania’s native forestry practices.
How removing large old trees is legal in Tasmania
The log driven through central Hobart falls well short of guaranteed protection under Tasmania’s native forest logging system.
‘Giant’ trees — defined as those at least 85 metres tall, generally 5 metre in diameter — receive protection and prompt setbacks.
This tree was significantly smaller than that.
Trees might also be kept if they contain hollows for swift parrot nesting, but clear-fell logging can occur around them. They can also be logged if considered a safety risk to workers.
The tree resided in native forest that is part of Tasmania’s “permanent timber production zone” for STT.
These areas can be added or removed from the logging schedule, and include all native forest types, including old growth.
This stemmed from the Liberal government’s decision in 2014 to “rip up” the forestry peace deal, transferring 400,000 hectares of reserved native forest back into the potential logging area.
This is all able to occur because native forest logging is exempt from being considered by Commonwealth environmental laws.
It instead operates under the Howard-era Tasmania Regional Forest Agreement.
Before logging, STT must submit forest practice plans, to be approved by the Tasmania Forest Practices Authority (FPA).
This includes consideration for swift parrots, masked owls, wedge-tailed eagles and other endangered species.
However, environmental groups argue this process is not independent, as some FPA officers also are either current or former STT workers.
Protesters say swift parrots in peril
Bob Brown Foundation protesters blocked access to the coupe at Kermandie on Friday morning where they suspect the logs originated.
So far, tree clearing for access roads has occurred.
In a social media post, STT described the forest as “regrowth” — meaning it has been logged in some capacity in the past.
Old trees could have been retained in past logging practices.
STT also stated that critically endangered swift parrots were detected “flying overhead” in the coupe, but claimed that no foraging or nesting activity had occurred.
It is currently the start of the swift parrot breeding season, when the migratory birds identify suitable nesting habitat. They have settled on sites in Tasmania’s southern forests for this season.
STT stated it would keep three hollow bearing trees.
Trees potentially 300 years old
Ecologist Matt Webb also recorded swift parrots in the coupe two weeks ago.
He said it was too early in the breeding season for STT to say that no nesting activity was occurring in the forest — and retaining three trees was inadequate.
“Saying there’s no nesting activity is a big call to make, particularly if they’ve only spent a short amount of time surveying the coupe,” Dr Webb said.
“It doesn’t seem to be a particularly responsible thing to be going in and logging in an area where swift parrots are, at the beginning of the nesting season, where there’s nesting habitat.”
He estimated the log spotted in Hobart was about three metres in diameter, would be at least 200 to 300 years old, and was typical of the type of tree that could be found in the coupe at Kermandie.
“That is an old growth tree, no one can dispute that,” Dr Webb said.
STT said logs from the coupe could be used for heritage bridge renewals.
The coupe is in STT’s swift parrot important breeding area — it did not respond to questions about whether this meant logging could not occur in the early breeding season if swift parrots are sighted.
STT sent the ABC an almost exact copy of its Instagram post about the Kermandie coupe from October 12 in response to questions.
Local sawmill sector still frustrated over Victorian incursion
The end of native forest logging in Victoria has seen interstate companies winning haulage contracts in Tasmania.
The ABC has confirmed the Victorian-plated trucks in Hobart were from a company contracted to STT, and would have been operating in the state’s southern forests.
Earlier this year, Huon Valley company TP Bennett and Sons lost a haulage contract with STT to a Victorian competitor.
The government carried out a review of the STT haulage tender, and found it was a fair process.
STT is exempt from local content rules as it’s a government business enterprise (GBE).
Sawlogs have also been sighted heading to Victoria on the Spirit of Tasmania.
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