FT: Will it make a profit?

“Will it make a profit?”

“Indeed it will....“was the unequivocal reply.

FT’s District Forester was in no doubt when answering  an ABC reporter's question about the proposed clear felling of a 68 hectare coupe of 60 year old native forest regrowth at Lapoinya in North West Tasmania. The full ABC report can be found HERE.

After a few years of losing $20 for each tonne of timber chopped down and sold has FT found a way to make a profit?

Why Bob Gordon had to go?

The seemingly pointless inquiry investigating the sale of the Triabunna mill to Graeme Wood and Jan Cameron in July 2011 rather than to Ron O’Connor and the Aprin Group has brought to light a lot of correspondence and emails , now all accessible on the inquiry website .

Not much we didn’t already know.

One exception was a letter (reproduced below) from Treasury Secretary Martin Wallace to the Department of Economic Development Secretary Mark Kelleher dated 16^th June 2011 which revealed a little more detail on the failed Aprin deal and maybe why Bob Gordon's retirement occured a little earlier than otherwise planned.

Forestry Tasmania: Nothing has changed

The first thing that strikes when leafing through Forestry Tasmania’s (FT’s) Annual Report for 2013/14 is that the Directors have hardened their view that profits in the foreseeable future are unlikely.