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NewsEnvironmentEnvironmental advocates raise alarm over short-term pine plantation plansBy Joe ColbrookMarch 4 2024 - 12:00pmBy Joe ColbrookMarch 4 2024 -

12:00pmFacebookTwitterWhatsappEmailCopyPresident of the North East Bioregional Network Todd Dudley is urging the managers of Skyline Tier to rethink plans for a short-term pine plantation.

Picture by Joe Colbrook More than 15 years of work has gone into regenerating hundreds of hectares of radiata pine plantation back to native forest at Skyline Tier on the East Coast behind

Scamander.

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50% off EOFY SaleAll articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperCrosswords, Sudoku and TriviaAll other regional websites in your areaContinue The project has received

numerous awards including in 2021 when it was recognised internationally for its ecological restoration excellence.

Now that work might stall to feed the state's renewable fuel ambitions - with those involved calling on the site's managers to reconsider.

President of the North East Bioregional Network Todd Dudley said the project had progressed well thanks to the cooperation of the forestry company who leased the site from the State

Government.

However, he said new owners - an international firm - had plans to turn parts of the site back into a plantation.

Although none of the established restored native forest would be touched, Mr Dudley said many of the areas earmarked for pine had signs of strong native forest regeneration.

The former plantation site at Scamander is now home to native trees after 15 years of work weeding out pines by volunteers. Picture by Joe Colbrook "About four years ago New

Forests/Timberlands Pacific gave a commitment that there wouldn't be any more pines planted," he said.

"Now they're talking about some of the area being bulldozed, poisoned and planted with pines.

"We understand the purpose of that is to grow the pines over the short term, and then harvest and transport them to George Town, to feed into the proposed biomass generator."

The project at Bell Bay, put forward by ABEL Energy and Iberdrola, proposes using "plantation forestry residues" and water electrolysis to generate green hydrogen and green methanol.

Mr Dudley questioned whether "the pine planting was receiving carbon credits when it would be better to get credits for native forest restoration".

About 120 residents attended a meeting at St Helens to air their concerns about the project.

The site sits in the catchment for nearby coastal wetlands, including Diana's Basin, and there were fears among the community members the herbicide use could negatively impact these.

About 120 residents aired their concerns during an information session at St Helens. Picture supplied The community were also worried about the impact on those with dams or using bore water

on their properties.

"It also reduces environmental flows," Mr Dudley said.

"By doing this bulldozing and short rotation planting, it's just going to dry the catchment out."

Those that attended the meeting were unanimously against the proposal, calling on the plantation lessees to reconsider their plans and instead double down on regenerating native forest.

Mr Dudley said the site was a "shining demonstration" of what could be achieved when restoring native forest.

"We should be showcasing Skyline Tier as a leading example in forest restoration and management, as a shining demonstration of what can be achieved in habitat protection and rehabilitation

of nature, and importantly as one which gives people hope for the future," he said.

ShareFacebookTwitterWhatsappEmailCopyJoe ColbrookJournalistJournalist at The Examiner, covering local government and planning, breaking news and court. Send tips to

[email protected] Times, UQ AlumniJournalist at The Examiner, covering local government and planning, breaking news and court. Send tips to

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