VALLEY SHOWS SUPPORT FOR TIMBER INDUSTRY

By Tim Howard

The Clarence Valley has shown unequivocal support for continued native forestry logging, despite calls to transition to more sustainable practices.

At Clarence Valley Council’s October 26 meeting, councillors voted three times to scrap a move to have council lobby the state government to phase out logging native forest in State-owned forests.

And for the second time in as many months councillors began the meeting in front of a packed gallery, this time consisting of timber industry supporters.

In June the council, after receiving a report from its Biodiversity Committee, resolved to seek comment from the timber industry and community on the practice.

In response the council received 2464 submissions from the public with almost all of them supporting continued forestry. But there was some dispute about what those numbers represented with Cr Greg Clancy pointing out 2358 submissions were form letters following six templates prepared by timber industry supporters.

“if you take out a large number of form letters that were sent, and there were large numbers of them,” Cr Clancy said.

“There were 41 written submissions supporting the industry and 65 written submissions supporting the recommendation.

“I just wanted to find out that there are people in the community who do have concerns about threatened species, about the loss of biodiversity.”

But Cr Karen Toms said there was no difference.

“Just because somebody writes a form letter doesn’t mean they don’t understand the motion before them,” she said.

Even before the debate began the motion was in trouble.

Cr Debrah Novak moved a foreshadowed motion that council:

1: Note the 2464 submissions received on this matter and thank those who contributed to it.

2: note the support for the native forests sustainable harvesting industry in the Clarence

Valley and its significant economic contribution directly and indirectly .

3: acknowledged the importance of the International ecological values of the Clarence Valley’s biodiversity and native forests.

4: invite State member Richie Williamson to facilitate a workshop with Regional Development Australia, Northern Rivers, the Clarence Valley timber industry, the Clarence River Environment centre and other interested groups .

5: establish terms of reference for a new council agriculture forestry and fishing advisory committee and report back to council no later than February 2024 meeting.

Cr Ian Tiley was more succinct.

His foreshadowed motion read: given the native forests logging importance to the Clarence Valley economy, and noting the long term environmentally responsible approach of the Clarence Valley industry, this council supports the continuation of selected harvesting and take no further action in this matter.

And it quickly became apparent this had majority support, but it took an hour of debate to finally reach a vote on it.

Cr Clancy began the debate arguing his motion was not a danger to the timber industry.

“The motion is not about closing down the timber industry in the Clarence Valley or anywhere else, he said.

“The motion is to call on the state government to actually develop a plan for the future of the timber industry and the future of the forests and that future would be by moving into sustainable plantations.”

But that cut little ice with other councillors. Some councillor including Mayor Peter Johnstone, Cr Toms and Cr Steve Pickering, were concerned the council was becoming involved in areas in which it had no control.

After defeating Cr Clancy’s motion, 8-1, it also dismissed Cr Novak’s motion 6-3.

It’s position was clear when Cr Tiley’s motion came to a vote, carried 7-2.

‘In