CHCS News
Tarkine Lockup
CARL BAILEY
Hello, I'm Carl Bailey.
LILLY MAY
And I'm Lilly May from CHCS News.
CARL BAILEY
This morning, we are tackling a pretty big topic. It's something that a lot of people in Tasmania are talking about.
LILLY MAY
But how much do we really know about this issue?
Students reading newspapers in a classroom
BOY
Oh, another article on the Tarkine lockup! There always seems to be something in the news about it. Hey, April, do you know what the Tarkine fuss lockup is all about?
GIRL
I think it's got to do with some locks on the gates at the Tarkine.
TEACHER
No, no, that's not right. It's to do with the locking up of our old-growth forest. That's what it's to do with. So that we can't get in there and cut the trees down.
STUDENTS
Aaah!
Pictures of the Tarkine forest courtesy Circular Head Tourism
GIRL, REPORTER: The Tarkine forest is a wilderness area in the north-west of Tasmania. It covers approximately 4,500km sq. The Tarkine represents Australia's largest remaining single tract of temperate rainforest. It provides a home for over 60 rare, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals. Some parts of the Tarkine have Aboriginal heritage. The idea of locking up the Tarkine will mean that this area will join other areas that are Heritage-listed in the State.
Student interviewing Mr Brumby
GIRL, REPORTER
Mr Brumby, first of all, what is your job with the forestry?
IAN BRUMBY
My job is in the planning side. I work out where we're going to be harvesting, how much timber is out there, how expensive it is to get to the timber. Also in the summer, I get involved with firefighting as well.
GIRL, REPORTER
What does Forestry Tasmania do to keep the Tarkine sustainable?
IAN BRUMBY
Forestry Tasmania play an important role in fire management within the Tarkine so put out wildfires, but as well to use fire to regenerate plant communities that need fire. Some plants only live a short time, 5 or 10 years. And in that period, they need a fire every 5 or 10 years so that the seeds can be released from the main plant and grow. Forestry Tasmania also work with the beekeepers who use the Tarkine area. The beekeepers particularly are interested in leatherwood trees as their bees create some beautiful leatherwood honey that comes out of the area. I think there's 66 beehive sites, registered hive sites, in the Tarkine.
GIRL, REPORTER
Are there any other activities than logging that Forestry Tasmania manage in the Tarkine area?
IAN BRUMBY
Forestry Tasmania manages the forest within Tassie and also within the Tarkine. We have a concerted effort to measure the forests to find out how fast they're growing and what products are in them. When we've got our measurement results, we calculate how quickly the forest is growing and that helps us to work out how much we can harvest each year so that we don't harvest too much in the first 5 or 10 years and have nothing left after that.
GIRL, REPORTER
Do you think forestry, mining and tourism can coexist in the Tarkine?
IAN BRUMBY
Yes, I think forestry, mining and tourism can coexist quite well in the Tarkine. At the moment, the three are existing side by side. With future developments, I think, if as a community, we are thoughtful of the way we progress future developments, whether it's future mines or future tourism ventures, we can get a good balance between mining, forestry and tourism.
GIRL, REPORTER
Thank you, Mr Brumby, for your time.
Students in TV studio
LILLY MAY
It's such an interesting topic, isn't it?
CARL BAILEY
Yes, and it doesn't seem to be close to being settled yet.
LILLY MAY
We'll keep you posted on the progress with this issue.
CARL BAILEY
Thanks for tuning in, I'm Carl Bailey.
LILLY MAY
And I'm Lilly May.
CARL BAILEY
This is CHCS News signing out.
CHCS News
Carl Bailey, Lilly May, Fredrick Wilson, Annebelle Watson, Sky Jackson