WA Sustainable Forest Industries Roundtable (WA SFIR)
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The WA Labor Govt ban on sustainable harvesting of our regrowth forests is wrecking  sustainable industries which are climate-friendly,  job-creating and underpin our South-West timber towns

WA SFIR is dedicated to preserving our native forests and the livelihoods of the many hundreds of smaller, family, multi-generational businesses and timber towns that have had their access to sustainably harvested forest products suddenly halted.
Noteworthy, is that old growth forests were granted 100% protection in 2001 and the Govt's shabby and mis-named 'logging ban'  2021 ironically applies only to sustainably-harvested, regrowth forests.  
This policy on-the-run and resultant industry closedown is caused by the ill-conceived and unscientific 2021 ban which in reality bans sustainable harvesting of regrowth forests.  Implementation by the WA State Labor McGowan/Cook Government was all  done with zero consultation, with departments, agencies, industry and and the public. 
The 'logging ban' effectively tore up the 2019 Commonwealth/WA Regional Forest Agreement which guaranteed "effective ... durable outcomes for forest based industries" (RFA, 2019).
The result has crippled long-standing industries ranging from fire wood to floorboards, from pizza shops to quality furniture, from landscaping supplies to building components, from heritage restorations to artisans, sandalwood to even the chooks who rely on the sawdust are not happy....
WA Labor is gutting the economies and very culture of our iconic South-West timber towns.

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David Utting:  Convener, WA Sustainable Forest Industries Roundtable
Email: wasustainableforests@gmail.com   Email media: david (at) davidutting.com
www.wasfir.com.au
© Copyright 2024 WA SFIR
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Sustainable Forest Industries, Jobs and Iconic SW Timber Towns Gutted by Labor's un-consulted, politically-motivated, Green-appeasing, policy-making

Following the WA Govt’s 2021 ban on sustainable harvesting of wood products from regrowth areas (they call it a logging ban), many industries now face ruin.  The flawed policy-making was driven by the Labor Govt's appeasement of the Greens: Labor looked for a way of halting its members deserting to the Greens and shore up its performance at the ballot box.

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Timber Supply Cut Causes Problems in Abundance:

- Flagship Jarrah and Marri furniture industries starved of timber
 - Hardwood building timber products becoming scarcer
- Landscaping and decking timbers becoming unavailable 
- No hardwood for historic renovations 
- WA wood heater manufacturers face uncertainty
- Fireplace and BBQ retailers suffering
-Sandalwood is in the Govt's sights 
- Even the poultry industry is suffering because the chooks need the saw dust.
The State Labor government has caused this but ignores the plight of small timber related businesses.

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WA Government compensation and alleviation measures ineffective and counter-productive

WA Govt will spend $330 million closing down a sustainable industry and propping up its failed Forest Products Commission but ignores the plight of small timber-related businesses.

Quite mischievously, the WA Govt 'compensation' is deigned to strangle wood supply and drive workers and businesses out of sustainable forest industries.

Exit payments in no way compensate for generations of toil and investment by the families who have built our iconic South-West timber towns.
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SFIR Demands Wood Clear-Felled from Bauxite Mining on the Darling Scarp be Reserved for Local Households and Businesses Rather than Foreign Fat Cats

SFIR has repeatedly and unsuccessfully urged the State govt to reserve for WA home consumers and the firewood and furniture industries, the huge amounts of jarrah clear-felled for mining.
Over 1000 Ha per annum of jarrah forest is flattened by Alcoa and South 32 in the Darling Scarp bauxite mining, under long-term State Agreements.

*  SFIR has in person requested this of Minister Jarvis.

* Many regional and low income households rely on firewood for cooking and heating - they should be prioritised not Japanese wood chippers

* WA Government ‘logging ban' diverts high quality furniture and other wood to industrial charcoal at Kemerton and woodchips exported  by foreign companies

* Many local wood businesses haven't received supplies since July 2023.

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Who is the Sustainable Forest Industries Roundtable?

SFIR convener is David Utting, www.davidutting.com well known company adviser, former West Australian journalist, academic and Ministerial adviser.

Operations Convener is retired senior forestry public servant and former Forest Products Commission Operations Manager Gavin Butcher.

The Industries Convener is respected independent forester John Clarke who is a biosecurity expert and office holder in many forestry organisations.

Furniture Manufacturer's Convener is Frank Parker - Frank also represents 150 WA furniture makers from the Furniture Manufacturers Association of WA Inc.

The SFI Roundtable represents many hundreds of small and family businesses facing extinction due to poorly thought-out, politically-motivated and destructive WA Labor Government policies.

SFIR has fundraised over $25 thousand dollar's worth of advertisements in The West Australian Newspaper and Google/Facebook. SFIR enjoys unbridled support from the smaller, mum and pop end of industry and wood products users.

What's Gone Wrong: Why are our South-West timber towns withering - Ask the WA Labor Government

If you’re wondering why hundreds of multi-generational family timber-related businesses are closing down, ask the WA Labor Government

The reason is the McGowan/Cook government’s shock ‘native forest logging ban' announced in September 2021, whereby sustainably managed timber harvesting in regrowth areas was spontaneously outlawed.

This is destroying the culture of our iconic South-West timber towns.

The banning decision, which has no scientific basis, was made without any industry, department or agency consultation, hence the mess. 

Even govt departments and agencies were stunned to first hear about it by reading about the ban in the morning newspaper.

Many sectors, predominantly small and family businesses, are being driven to the wall.  These are people who have built their businesses over many generations by investing and mortgaging their homes.

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Two thirds of our South-West WA native forests, including 100% of our old growth forests, are already protected since 2001.

The remaining one third, all of which is regrowth, has been sustainably harvested for many decades and the Government has repeatedly trumpeted its high environmental credentials.

These areas were only to be sustainably harvested in small coups every 200 years.

The 'logging ban' effectively tore up the 2019 Commonwealth/WA Regional Forest Agreement which guaranteed "effective ... durable outcomes for forest based industries" (RFA, 2019).

Iconic and much loved Boranup Forest south of Margaret River

Did you know that this wonderful forest was clear-felled in the 1880s. And it has regenerated.

Forestry practice has evolved immeasurably since then, with only small coups now days being harvested which facilitates species regeneration.

No old growth forests have been harvested since 2001 and only cycles of 200 years for the small amounts of regrowth have been recently utilised or contemplated. 

Coupled with small harvest coups and a 200 year harvest cycle, these stands are well capable of efficient regeneration.

People marvel at this forest and are mistakenly led to believe that it is old growth forest. However, it is not.

It is a regrowth forest with significant areas about 120 years old and largely a result of clear felling operations in the 1880-90s

. In 1993, the Boranup Forest, including the caves reserves, became part of the existing Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park (courtesy Robert Onfray).

Before the 'ban' WA HAD been at the forefront of evidence-based, sustainable forestry practices

Two thirds of our forests, including 100% of our old growth forests, are already protected.

The remaining one third, all of which is regrowth, has been sustainably harvested for many decades and the Government has repeatedly trumpeted its high environmental credentials.

These areas were only to be sustainably harvested in small coups every 200 years.

The Forest Products Commission (FPC) website updated March 28, 2024 says:

"The FPC is a dedicated team committed to close engagement with communities, industry and government to support a vibrant and sustainable forestry industry.

"Delivering timber products and services across three business segments – softwood, native forest and sandalwood – the FPC is shaping the industry’s future with our key priorities of timber production, forest health, and adapting to the challenges of climate change.

"We supply essential timber products for the housing and construction industry in Western Australia, as well as for biomass, furniture making, artisans and firewood."

McGowan's Broken Agreement in writing (signed above): Regional Forest Agreement signed 2019 by McGowan and torn up in 2021 by, you guessed it, McGowan 

The RFA was signed March 29, 2019 by the then Prime Minister Scott Morrison and then Premier Mark McGowan - it guaranteed a supply of sustainably harvested wood to allow small and family businesses guaranteed access to timber resources.  Why the huge backflip over two years?

The WA Labor premier has unilaterally torn this up yet he in person signed the agreement.

Regional Forest Agreement (reproduced below)

This agreement is between the state of Western Australia and the Commonwealth of Australia and signed on 29 March 2019 by the Premier of Western Australia and the Prime Minister of Australia.

Purpose of the agreement

This Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) establishes the framework for the management of the forests of the South-west forest region of Western Australia. The parties are committed to ensuring this agreement is durable and the commitments are delivered to ensure effective outcomes for the conservation, sustainable forest management and forest based industries.

 

WA's flagship furniture industry now starved of sustainable Jarrah, Karri and Wandoo

According to the Furniture Manufacturer's Convener Frank Parker -who represents 150 WA furniture makers from the Furniture Manufacturers Association of WA Inc, timber supplies for the industry are becoming more difficult to source due to the Government ban.

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Contact and Corporate

wasustainableforests@gmail.com

media: david (at) davidutting.com

PO Box 3047 Broadway Post Office, Crawley 6009 WA 

WA SFIR is working towards registration with the West Australian Department of Commerce (IARN: A1034602Z under the Associations and Incorporation Act 2015 (Section 10)) as a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to working to ensure local businesses' access to sustainable forest products.

© Copyright 2024 WA SFIR