Vicforests confident

The state-owned business responsible for the harvest, sale and re-growing of Victoria’s State Forests has refuted claims of large-scale clear-fell timber harvesting at Mt Cole, east of Ararat.

Vicforests corporate affairs manager Alex Messina said the level of seed-tree harvesting or clear-fell at Mt Cole was ‘very’ limited.

“There has only been around seven hectares of seed-tree harvesting carried out per year over the past three years at Mt Cole,” he said.

“The claims made by the Victorian National Parks Association about large-scale, clear-fell harvesting are simply inaccurate and misrepresent Vicforests’ role in disease and forest management as well as the salvaging of dead trees and wind throw operations, which occur over a broader area.”

Last week Victorian National Parks Association called for an end to a commercial logging trial at Mt Cole.

The association is concerned that logging is devastating an area home to several threatened plants and animals.

But Mr Messina said all Vicforests operations occurred only after ‘careful planning and assessment’.

“This ensures we meet industry best-practice, backed up by scien- tific and expert advice, and in accordance with strict environmental and conservation protections,” he said.

“The timber sourced from Mt Cole is important for local communities and is also processed locally with wood waste supplied from the sawmill being used to provide heating for the hospital in Beaufort.

“The native-timber industry is one of the most strictly regulated industries across Victoria.

“While there are 7.1-million hectares of public forests across the state, about 94 percent of this is protected and will never be harvested. An even smaller amount is available for harvest under Vicforests’ Community Forestry program in western Victoria.”

Mr Messina said apart from firewood, Vicforests Community Forestry program supplied timber for ‘locally sourced and produced’ specialised products including furniture, building supplies and even high-end musical instruments.

“The vast majority of Vicforests operations under its Community Forestry program use low-intensity harvesting,” he said.

The Mt Cole area is the starting point for western Victoria’s vast Wimmera River system and popular with bushwalkers and tourists.