Not a good look

Tasmania has severe employment problems. The logging industry had always been very important to their economy - to the detriment of the environment. In the recent past even Old growth native forests were logged. After many protests this has been scaled back and managed plantations are the main source of timber. The Tamar Valley has huge numbers of logging trucks - and the result is huge piles of wood chip waiting to be exported.... The dark pile is coal to be used in the nearby coal station

[Lisa Poland]

Don't they replant the trees? They do that here, clear an area, replant and in 10 years or so they do it again.

[Rob Z]

@homeschoolmom Hi Lisa - that is what they are doing now - but it is still being set up so they clear a lot of native forest to establish their plantations - which seem to be either pine or eucalypt. It will take different time spans for the trees to be big enough to harvest, but at least they don't seem to be logging the old growth forests much any more. About 8 years ago there were huge protests with people chained to bulldozers etc. It seems to have had an impact and the industry has changed. The piles of woodchip still bring back bad memories though - apparently the market for it declined and a lot of the piles have been there for a long time. Change is happening but it seems slow. Thanks for having a look. Cheers Rob :)