VEAC report divides communities

BANGERANG elder Sandy Atkinson is a concerned man. He’s concerned not just for the community of the area, but also for the relationships between local ‘blacks and whites’ and for the forest they share. The VEAC draft report may have passed, but Sandy is continuing to lobby against the council’s recommendation that Barmah forest be turned into a National Park.
“This plan is flawed. Not only is it hammering a wedge between blacks and whites, but it’s creating divisions between blacks and blacks and this is terribly concerning” Sandy said. “VEAC’s report is part of a political game that the government is playing with the Aboriginal people- I don’t see how any good can come of this”.

Sandy has added his strong objections to the voices of other local individuals and groups which have protested against VEAC’s recommendations over the past few months. “I support what the cattlemen and timber cutters are doing. Forest management is about sustainable, multi-use of the forest, not about shutting people out of it he said.
“For VEAC to turn up to a meeting like they did in Nathalia, and try and tell people all about the forest when the council has no experience of our forest, was scandalous.
“The local indigenous communities which include not just the Yorta Yorta people, but Bangerang people as well, and the cattlemen, timber cutters, campers and local business people have a wealth of experience in Barmah forest, but they have been ignored”.
Sandy said his chief concern was the council’s recommendation that the Yorta Yorta nation become majority managers of the forest. The Yorta Yorta nation lost a claim to this land in the country’s highest court, yet now they’re being handed the forests as part of VEAC’s recommendation, “ Sandy said. “Past experience has shown us that the Yorta Yorta cannot manage anything themselves- the Dharnya centre and Newman’s farm are classic examples of this.

“The Bangerang community, has a longer history in this area than the Yorta Yorta, and the people who lived and worked in the forest, have not figured amongst VEAC’s recommendations when it comes to managemeing the forest. It all seems like a cruel conspiracy”.
He said the VEAC report undermines the hard work local communities have done over the past 150 years in overcoming racial divisions in the area. “We've all worked hard to build good strong relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people who live around Barmah Forest- people just don’t think in terms of ‘black’ and ‘white’ her anymore.
“Our communities help and support each other, sitting on local organisations together supplementing each other’s knowledge of the forest. “if a group came in, with knowledge of the forest, and suggested that our entire communities get together to work at a mutually acceptable solution to caring for the forest, it would be great. “As it is VEAC is playing groups off against each other, and creating divisions. It’s not only unacceptable. It’s deeply concerning,” Sandy concluded. Numurkah Leader, Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Ouick response to Fires

Now that the 07/08 fire season is upon us, Victorians should know our firststrike capacity and whether all fire towers will be manned and from when.

With increasing fuel loads around the State due to limited reduction burning, aggressive and immediate detection and suppression are fundamental to limiting the spread of fires.

During its tour of Victorian firesites, the People’s Review of the Bushfires heard many complaints about inadequate first strikes and not enough effort being devoted to getting fires out as soon as possible. Remember, any fire starts as a small one. Tragic losses of biodiversity and wildlife over the last 4-5 years all started from small fires. Fires spread on “blow up days”but last summer the fires were already burning before these hot and windy days.

To attack fires as quickly as possible we need an efficient firespotting network but again, the People’s Review was disturbed to hear that some firetowers have not been maintained or were not manned last summer. The people of Victoria need good information on what is being done to prevent yet another occurrence of massive feral fires. These huge blazes are not inevitable, they are the result of small fires getting away. Tim BarkerPeoples Review of Bushfires

The forest worshippers and their failed mantras

Large infrequent fires have been caused by years of deliberate government decision making dating back to 1982 when the John Cain Government sacked the three Commissioners of the Victorian Forests Commission and disbanded it.

The three Commissioners were replaced in the superseding department, Conservation, Forests and Lands by ALP Party people who knew nothing about forest science but were aware of the need to obtain preference deals at the polls.

In the current corridors of power, the same political ideology continues to blind the same type of political guru despite the obvious evidence that politics cannot supersede the needs of a natural environment. The forest worshippers continue with their failed mantras and continue their pressure through promises of giving or withholding preferences at the forthcoming election. There can be little doubt that, in metropolitan areas around Australia, there is a great deal of support for the Greens. Rural folk are not so easily hoodwinked.

Current management are too proud to look at the record of their predecessors and find out why, from the time of Judge Stretton in 1944 to Athol Hodgson, President of Forest Fire Victoria (PDF 90KB), in 1982, Victoria enjoyed the peace and protection of good fire management. Government agencies rely upon Memoranda of Co-operation to silence any stakeholder organisation that is in a position to criticise their mismanagement.

The advent of aircraft and other modern appliances that have been thrust into the fire management equation have given current management the opportunity to promote fire suppression rather than fire prevention. The temptation to provide big toys for big boys has been irresistible. Government “spin doctors” enjoy highlighting “your taxes at work” while totally neglecting past research which shows that fire prevention is less costly and more productive than fire suppression.

Historically, forests around the Australian continent have supported an Indigenous population with food, clothing and shelter. Scientists have found evidence of widespread burning from ridge top to riparian zone, probably performed in the cooler months of the year. In thousands of years they have never been locked up and left alone - at least until 1982.

Australian eucalypts and many other species have always grown while shedding branches, bark and leaves onto a forest floor. In southern Australia it is usually very dry and consequently this has not aided the mulching of this dead vegetation. The lack of rainfall ensures that the dead foliage, full of highly inflammable eucalyptus oil is ready for ignition during any dry period of the year - but especially in late spring through to early autumn, when dry storms with a lot of lightning will provide ignition.

The fire fighting pyramid consists of low humidity; moderate to high northerly winds coupled with an ignition source and fuel on the forest floor. The only factor within the control of humans is the amount of fuel on the forest floor. The heavier the fuel load the more intense the fire and the higher its temperature.

Heavy fuel loads generate enormous amounts of heat energy which burns humus and causes erosion. It destroys burrowing animals and colonies of insects. Where fire intensity is too high, the soil is made hydrophobic. Where this happens the fire has already left the ground and is up into the tree tops where it destroys the tree top animals and the canopy and even kills some types of eucalypts.

The forest floor, without the protection of trees, branches and leaves is subjected to the scouring force of the rain. Earth is eroded resulting in mudslides and damaging torrents of water. This is what happened in Gippsland this year.

The Australian forest is predictable and uniformly demanding. If it is to be managed in accordance with an ideological gospel of the Greens, the consequences of human folly compound the innate problems of eucalyptus forest management and catastrophic bushfires are inevitable.

Hyper fires started in 1998 with the Caledonia River fire. This event went virtually unnoticed except that in the little north Gippsland township of Licola the water supply was severely compromised. Residents made their feelings known then and have done so, with justification, ever since.

Early 2007 saw Licola left to defend itself or burn. It then suffered a huge mudslide in February 2007 followed by savage torrents of sediment laden water bursting the banks of the Macalister River, carrying all before it. Roads, bridges, fencing, dwellings and any man made structure that got in its way.

The 59 days of fires in 2003 were bad enough to require an official response and Commissioner Esplin was detailed to write a report to excuse the bad land management of the government. He could not hide the fact that in the years since the Caledonia River fires there had been no measures taken to reduce forest fuels. This lack of basic management has been reported upon by the Auditor General of Victoria on at least two occasions

To his credit, in his 2003 Preliminary Report, at Section 5.5, Esplin draws attention to the protection of the Melbourne Water catchments located in rural Victoria. He notes Melbourne Water’s co-operation with the Country Fire Authority and recognises the extensive network of well maintained 4WD fire access tracks and the availability of trained, well equipped fire fighters who are located close to the catchments that they protect. Melburnians may rest easy with respect to their water supply.

Rural water catchments do not attract that level of protection.

Fires in Central Gippsland and Western Victoria in 2005-2006 were followed by 69 days of fires in the summer of 2006-7.

The total area incinerated in Victoria, due to the deliberate neglect of our forests is now an area of two and a half million hectares, or about eleven million acres.

The next fire season is probably starting within two months. There is no indication of any correlation with global warming, nor climate change and if we are subjected to further hyper fires it will be due to the deliberate inaction of the Victorian Government.

John Cribbes is a retired, 68 year old public service accountant with some commercial accountancy skills. Trained at one time as a Business Analyst by Dun & Bradstreet, he also has analytical skills. He is very comfortable with extracting information from people who have qualifications that authenticate their conclusions. This has enabled him to track down and examine various documents that are relevant in the current debate. His attitude to the environment is simple. Whatever man does to alter his environment, if nature does not like it, the venture will fail. It is no good hugging trees and worshipping at that high altar when the basic principle of fire in forest management is ignored or suppressed. He believes that without human intervention and science based management it is obvious that Australian forests are in decline. John Cribbes

Drought leads to bush suicides

This story from the Herald Sun shows that 106 farmers have taken their own lives due to the prolonged drought over the past 7 years. Why is it then that the VEAC investigation is allowed to go ahead and the government is pushing for their north-south pipeline? Do they want to hit the farmers and country communities while they're down? Why push for issues like these when country people are suffering enough as it is!!

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22548270-29277,00.html

PROLONGED drought has been blamed for the suicide deaths of 106 Victorian farmers in the past seven years. And Beyondblue deputy chief executive Nicole Highet said the real number of suicides among farmers could be dramatically higher because only cases clearly identified as suicides were included in the figures, which were issued to the Herald Sun by the Victorian coroner.

Most of the suicides were among middle-aged male farmers, but three women also killed themselves, the Herald Sun reported. Guns were used in almost half the deaths. Dr Highet said many single-vehicle accidents in rural areas were often suicides.

“A number of deaths are not identified as suicides but seen as accidents, so it's likely to be under-reported,” she said. “We are seeing the impact drought is having on people's mental health and livelihood.”

Salvation Army drought support co-ordinator Lyn Cochrane said farming families were suffering.
“We are seeing increased levels of domestic violence,” Major Cochrane said. “History tells us this is what can happen: people stick through thick and thin, but reach a breaking point.”

Increase in forest Debris: A ticking time bomb

This photograph was taken by Chris Arndt on 16 January 2003

http://www.abc.net.au/canberra/stories/s852559.htm

VEAC’S Proposal to recommend an increase the amount of forest debris from 20 tonne to 45 tonne per hectare, as proposed in the ‘draft proposals paper for the River Red Gum Forests Investigation is unbelievable!

I understand that this recommendation has been developed in order to increase the habitat for the yellow-footed antechinus in the red gum forests. The yellow-footed antechinus can be found in both up land and lowland areas, eucalypt woodlands and rainforests. Local knowledge confirms that the yellow-footed antechinus is living and breeding in the local area very well, even in more open parts of the forest that have decreased levels of forest debris. They have even been relocated from people’s back yards.
VEAC’s recommendation to increase the forest debris will result in our local bush looking like a rubbish tip, and becoming an increased fire hazard .......... all to provide additional habitat for a marsupial that actually survives in a variety of conditions.

Imagine the devastation of an uncontrolled fire whipping through a forest with that much debris on the forest floor. The chairperson of VEAC has stated at a public forum that increased fuel loads in the bush will be managed with controlled burns. Won’t that burn the yellow-footed antechinus habitat and the marsupial itself? Why plan to increase fuel loads in the bush only to plan for controlled burns?

Sunraysia Irrigators Council Inc submission extract to VEAC

- VEAC study is based on acceptance of the claim that the red gum forests of the Murray and Goulburn are on the point of destruction and need to be managed differently.
* SIC. (Sunraysia Irrigators Council)
- These forests only became densely populated with red gums after the regulation of the rivers (dams, weirs etc) around the nineteen 20’s.
- The red gum forests have multiplied and flourished under the current multi-use management. Recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, hunting, fishing, 4 wheel driving, horse riding and motor cycle riding are just some of the activities conducted in these forests during that time.
- White settlement has not destroyed the red gums, in fact quite the reverse has occurred.
- The forests belong to all of the people, not just minority vested interest groups such as environmentalists, and traditional aboriginal occupiers.
- SIC does not accept the claim that the forests need saving. It believes that the current multi-use management exercised by the community and Government departments should continue.
VEAC: Overall Assessment:
- Main recommendation is for more environmental water for overbank flooding .
- Admits it is impossible to cost these recommendations.
- Claims a net increase of $92m/annually to Victoria. Yet offers no evidence to support this, and excludes the cost of the environmental water.
- Admits the benefits would be mostly for people outside the investigation area, mainly Melbourne. While most of the costs would be borne by the locals in the area.
*SIC.
Grave concerns at the omission of the cost of environmental water from the report. SIC has no doubt this is a deliberate action to conceal the real impact on the community of the VEAC proposals.

VEAC.
Environmental Water:
- Need 4,000 gl of water for overbank flooding every five years.
- VEAC wants all Victorians to pay for this water via a special tax.
- VEAC is prepared to buy water at market prices. Average current price is $2,250 per megalitre, which equals $8.8 billion.
- Concedes this will reduce irrigator security.
- Wants increased security for environmental water over all other water.
- Claims dubious benefits.
*SIC.
- Goulburn to Melbourne pipeline will use 75 gl annually. VEAC environmental overbank floods will use 80 gl annually.
- 4000 gl is the entire content of Dartmouth Dam.
- Huge impact on the entire regional economy of the Murray and Goulburn Valleys. Will amount to $1 billion loss of farm gate income and $4 billion regional economy annually.
Claims by VEAC Chairman at the Mildura public meeting that VEAC only intended to piggy back on natural flooding events and really did not expect to buy this water on the market, did not reflect what is written in the report. SIC says that Mr. Malcom selectively used only the information which supported the VEAC report, and avoided the entire facts as presented in the report.
Danny Lee Chairman SIC

The Nationals “dump” on Government report

Victorian Nationals’ Members of Parliament from Northern Victoria have released a submission strongly critical of the Victorian EnvironmentalAssessment Council’s River Red Gum Forests draft report.

The Nationals’ spokesperson for the Environment and Murray River, PeterWalsh, described the draft report as a totally inadequate document undermining the credibility of its authors.

The Nationals’ submission argues the report:· Does not address the impact on local communities· Ignores the concerns of local organisations and individuals who made submissions· Assumes changing the name on the gate from state forest to nationalpark will lead to better conservation outcomes but offers no evidence toback up the claim· Contains unrealistic and ill-conceived recommendations for increased environmental flows· Is based on crude and inappropriate cost benefit analysis.

“VEAC must break out of the mindset that creating more National Parks isthe only way forward to preserve and enhance Victoria’s natural heritage,”Mr Walsh said. “The Nationals support the principle of sustainable multi-use of publicland. There is no reason why the River Red Gum Forests cannot be sustainably managed under a regime which permits forestry, grazing,firewood collection, hunting and camping.

“The report grossly underestimates the costs associated with its recommendations. The unrealistic estimate reflects either VEAC’s ignoranceof the implications of what it has proposed or anticipation that the Government will pursue its usual lock-it-up-and-leave-it approach tomanaging public land.” The Nationals’ submission includes a critique of the cost benefit analysisused by VEAC. Mr Walsh described this analysis is scandalously inadequate.

The submission describes VEAC’s proposal for increases in environmental flows as an unrealistic “ambit claim”. “Surprisingly the report ignores the commitments the Victorian Government has already made to increase environmental flows under the Living MurrayInitiative,” Mr Walsh said. “This is incomprehensible given three of six so called icon sites under the Initiative are in the Red Gum Forest study area. “It is as if VEAC have assumed the Living Murray Initiative will fail to deliver any environmental improvement.

"VEAC’s credibility is on the line over this report. The draft report should be withdrawn and the Government should start again. “The next time round VEAC should time take advice from local people who really do understand the forest, the river and the local environment.” Copies of the submission can be obtained from any Nationals’ Member of Parliament or from our website, www.vic.nationals.org.au Media Contact: Peter Walsh (03) 50323154 or 0428 507 541

***IMPORTANT***

PLUG THE PIPE

SEYMOUR PROTEST RALLY

A DELEGATION WILL BE MEETING WITH THE MEMBER for SEYMOUR- BEN HARDMAN – IN HIS SEYMOUR OFFICE

THE DELEGATION NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT TO DELIVER A STRONG MESSAGE TO THE MEMBER FOR SEYMOUR & THE STATE GOVERNMENT HE REPRESENTS.

MR.HARDMAN IS THE ONLY LOWER HOUSE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REPRESENTING PEOPLE IN THE GOULBURN VALLEY SUPPORTING THE NORTH-SOUTH PIPELINE.

MONDAY OCTOBER 8TH
12.45 pm
WALLIS STREET, SEYMOUR

PLUG THE PIPE Agenda: Stop this crazy pipeline to Melbourne proposal

Make a sign Attend the meeting Have your say


PLUG THE PIPE ACCEPTS ONLY PEACEFUL PROTESTS

VEAC- No forest No future

Media release by Timber Communities Australia (TCA)

The innocence of youth. Running through the Redgum forests with their dog these kids don’t realise what the future holds for them if VEAC draft proposals are accepted by Government unopposed.

Under a VEAC future kids can look forward to impacts such as ‘ loss of employment for individuals and their families including poverty and financial hardship, reduced future work opportunities, reduced participation in mainstream community life, strains in family relationships and intergenerational welfare dependency”. (page 85 RRG Draft Proposals Paper)

“No community should have to suffer these sorts of impacts; no parent wants to have their kid faced with a life on the dole. No family should have to live in poverty. Why would anyone put forward such ludicrous proposals that have such damaging implications?” Asked Mr Scott Gentle, Victorian State Manager of the grassroots organisation Timber Communities Australia. “After 10 years of drought this is the last thing these communities need.”

In their zest to satisfy the environmental movement VEAC have decided that the communities that live in and around the Redgum forests are a disposable commodity. The desire to preserve the environment will come at the expense of families and kids.

‘Every Australian is entitled to have a healthy and prosperous lifestyle in harmony with the environment. Organisations such as VEAC should not have the right to put forward recommendations that will deprive people of this opportunity.’ said Mr Gentle.

“If VEAC had listened to the locals who understand the complexities of managing Redgum forest rather than consultants in Melbourne they would have delivered a report that could give hope to the region rather than tear its heart out” concluded Mr Gentle.

WELCOME!

Hi everyone! This is a blog where we can share news and updates on the issue regarding VEAC's recommendations to the government regarding the use of the red gum forests along the Murray River. We will endeavour to keep you up with the latest news and press releases from various groups and organisations involved in the fight to keep the forests multi-use, and let you know when important rallies and meetings will be held! So stay tuned :)