Alex Bainbridge, Hobart
More than 10,000 forest campaigners took to the streets of Hobart on March 13 in a decisive display of support for preserving old-growth forests. The timber industry countered with a large mobilisation on March 16 — the day that federal opposition leader Mark Latham arrived in Tasmania to personally examine the forests.
The Wilderness Society organised the March 13 rally to coincide with Latham's visit. It turned into the largest pro-environment mobilisation in Tasmania for more than 15 years.
Tasmania is the state fastest destroying old-growth forests. Around 70% of export woodchips from Australia come from Tasmania.
Nevertheless, the Labor and Liberal party leaderships support the industry. Rabidly pro-industry former forestry minister Paul Lennon has recently become premier, adding to fears that the state government is unlikely to end clearfelling.
Therefore, many environmentalists are hoping for federal government intervention if the ALP is elected nationally. People point to the actions of Labor's Bob Hawke — who was elected as prime minister in 1983, in part because he promised to save the Franklin River — as a precedent.
Latham has ruled out overriding the current Tasmanian Labor government — as Hawke did in 1984 — however he has raised expectations by agreeing to visit Tasmanian forests.
Speakers at the rally included Bob Brown, who urged participants to exercise the power of the "ballot box", and federal Labor parliamentarian Duncan Kerr. Kerr's presence on the platform was significant given the long-running hostility between Greens and Labor in Tasmania. His speech, however, was uninspiring, typified by his call for rally goers to avoid the temptation of taking "extreme" action.
The biggest feature of the day, however, was not parliamentary speakers but the outpouring of community desire to save old-growth forests. The Don College Environment Club marched "on behalf of 10,000 future generations". Numerous placards referred to recent allegations of corruption in the industry.
"Not against jobs or a forest industry, but corruption and mindless destruction" and "To save old-growth forests, give Lennon the axe" were representative of the countless home-made banners that were displayed. Undoubtedly, there were many unionists in the march but there were few union banners.
The Socialist Alliance's placards and banners were particularly noticeable. The alliance distributed 4000 copies of a leaflet calling for a publicly owned timber industry based on sustainable plantations, for an "immediate end [to] all logging in high-conservation value old-growth forests" and for an "urgent phase-out [of] clearfelling in native forests".
A pro-logging industry rally was held on March 16, and addressed by the ALP's forestry minister and the state Liberal leader. Many favourable media reports indicated that as many as 10,000 people attended, although this is disputed. Forestry Tasmania and Gunns employees — most of the participants — were paid to attend.
The forestry division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union helped organise the rally. In an unpublished letter to the Mercury, Kamala Emanuel, the Socialist Alliance candidate for Elwick, called on the union to support a "transition to a genuinely sustainable industry with safer and more secure jobs". She added, "This would surely include an immediate end to all logging in high-conservation value old-growth forests as demanded by the vast majority of Tasmanians."
Latham's visit received considerable media attention, but he steered clear of making any firm commitments, claiming he wouldn't satisfy either of "the extremes". He described an end to clearfelling as "a very important priority", but also said he would stand by the state government's current policy review.
The Mercury's cartoon on March 20 summed up the visit with the "Caesar-in-waiting" quoted as saying "I came, I saw... I left".
From Green Left Weekly, March 24, 2004.
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