Tasmania's forestry future up in the airFriday 22 Jul 2011 The sale of Triabunna's woodchip mill on Tasmania's east coast was covered in last week’s issue. The sale to conservation-minded entrepreneurs Graeme Wood and Jan Cameron has been, as expected, a huge shock for many in the East Coast town as well as the Tasmanian timber industry. Sawmillers and others have warned that if southern Tasmania's only woodchip mill is closed and they cannot export timber residue through Triabunna, they might go out of business.The two purchased the mill from Gunns for AU$10 million on Wednesday last week and plan to develop the site for vineyards and tourism, potentially including a marina and cruise ship terminal. But they have agreed to keep the mill open for three to five years to allow the industry time to adapt. To add to the timber industry’s angst, former Wilderness Society chief Alec Marr has just been appointed General Manager of the company that bought the woodchip mill. One of Mr Marr's first tasks as general manager of Triabunna Investments is to negotiate with pro-logging Premier Lara Giddings and the industry on exactly how long the mill stays open and under what conditions. |
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