Forests as Energy or Fuel

Timber Mill boss meets MP over Energy

This is a report of a meeting between a National Party Timber Industry lobbyist* wanting to set up an wood biomass to energy plant at his Kempsey mill and Federal MP Rob Oakeshott.

In referring to wood biomass as ‘renewable’ energy the lobbyist admits its ‘one disadvantage is the production of carbon dioxide’.

The National Party timber industry lobbyist had …

Statistics on deforestation and emissions in Australia in reference to MP Rob Oakeshott’s intention to support legislation defining burning native forest biomass a ‘renewable’ energy – for the purpose of subsidies to industry

In warning MP Rob Oakeshott not to support subsidisation of native forest biomass burning for energy, a South Australian scientist: I think it is naive to think that native forest won’t be cut down if this bill is passed. The previous Bill understood this and this condition was put in to protect native forests. Do not remove this protection by …

Economist argues that Oakeshott’s call for wood-powered electricity means more logging

In this article Dr Judith Adjani argues that subsidisation of native forest wood biomass as a renewable energy will drive an increase in native forest logging. She explains why the attempt by MP Rob Oakeshott to permit subsidisation of native forest wood biomass wasn’t just a local or peripheral issue about wood ‘waste’, but an issue of national importance.

Open letter of Concern from Australian scientists about the incentives that will be created for native forest biomass burning if Rob Oakeshott MP proceeds with a motion in parliament that will subsidise this industry

The scientists are concerned that: carbon emissions will increase, that Australian forests, being some of the most carbon dense in the world, will be logged because of the incentive to call burning them renewable and thereby not permit the maximum uptake of dangerous Co2 to be sequestered as would occur if these forests were not logged. They labour to explain …

Comprehensive argument in well titled letter by Clarence Environment Centre in reply to Rob Oakeshott’s letter providing excuses for supporting burning and subsidising the burning of native forests for energy

This 2012 letter is a comprehensive analysis of the issues at stake in the allowance of native forests to be subsidised for burning as a so called carbon neutral renewable energy. Many of the issues relating to the nature of unsustainable native forest logging are covered, as well as the contentious issue of native forest wood biomass as a so …

Nativesrule press release against burning native forests for energy 2102

Nativesule, an organisation formed to address the sudden appearance of clear fell logging across Mid North Coast NSW and beyond, quickly organised a local film night to counteract the decision by federal MP Rob Oakeshott to move a motion in parliament that would permit retention of a carbon accounting loophole that would decree native forest biomass as an energy source …

2017 Department Primary Industries Press Release promoting burning up to 1 million hectares of North Coast NSW native forests for electricity

The residues report on which this public statement is based states “we only considered logs that met the specifications for pulpwood …. (typically 10 cm small end diameter overbark, and a minimum of 2.5 m in length – no species restrictions – and the crown was typically left in the forest)…. Extracting pulpwood only, means that a significant proportion of …

North Coast Residues: A project undertaken as part of the 2023 North Coast Forestry Project

This document reveals that it is logs that are being considered for burning in furnaces to create electricity, not bits and pieces left on the forest floor from harvest. P. 6 explains that the ‘residues’ the report considered are ‘logs that met the specifications for pulpwood (typically 10 cm small end diameter overbark, and a minimum of 2.5 in length’ …

Transforming Wood Residues to Bioenergy ‘A Step by Step Guide’ North Coast Forest Industry Taskforce (Timber NSW)

In promoting using wood for ‘bioenergy’ this manual makes serious factual errors and admissions contrary to the impression it seeks to create, i.e. that the wood biomass used is waste or ‘residue’. Fine print demonstrates that whole standing trees (as per the NSW DPI residue report) can be logged and burnt for ‘bioenergy’. Footnote 1 of p. 5 states ‘full …

Forest Management and the Carbon Cycle in Native Forest on the Mid North Coast of NSW

This 2012 Forestry NSW document was revealed at a public meeting held in Wauchope NSW in response to Federal MP Rob Oakeshott supporting changing the law to allow burning native forests for energy. Note that the forestry department states (p.12) that the source of the wood biomass would be waste left on the forest floor, i.e. 219 Kt per annum …