Access denied

[stepbystep]

If you plan on visiting the Hartz Mountains, Mt Picton, South Pictons, Federation Peak, the Eastern Arthurs, Mt Bobs, Mt Riveaux, the Tahune Airwalk or if you want to raft on the Picton or Weld rivers, FORGET IT.

Forestry Tasmania are doing roadworks in the area....oh, and by the way, they are also clear felling this forest....

[pazzar]

I believe you can still get to Picton Road by using Sheoak Road (although you may know more on this than I do), but that is not the point!

[Chezza]

Here's the road closure notice:

http://www.forestrytas.com.au/news/2015 ... ry-closure

You say they are clear felling the forest, can you tell us more?

[GPSGuided]

On aerial view, there appears to be some commercial plantations around the area. Presume that's what they'll be cutting into rather than native forests. No?

[stepbystep]

No, I walked the coupe. Those images are from inside. It is 100% old growth.

[stepbystep]

Here's the road closure notice:

http://www.forestrytas.com.au/news/2015 ... ry-closure

You say they are clear felling the forest, can you tell us more?

Yes, Cable logging. Here's the coupe and the location of the 3 cable towers.

[gayet]

An item from ABC News
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-20/tahune-airwalk-closed-to-allow-for-logging/6633316

[Mechanic-AL]

I would love to see some sort of Cost Benefit Analysis on this ( i.e.; what the state actually stands to make out of these logs. )
Can't imaging the figures would really be all that impressive?

so sad.

[DanShell]

I would love to see some sort of Cost Benefit Analysis on this ( i.e.; what the state actually stands to make out of these logs. )
Can't imaging the figures would really be all that impressive?

so sad.

I tend to agree. I think we stand to gain so much more in the bigger picture if those few trees are left than we ever will by cutting them down. But its difficult to judge without knowing all the facts I suppose

[GPSGuided]

I would love to see some sort of Cost Benefit Analysis on this ( i.e.; what the state actually stands to make out of these logs. )
Can't imaging the figures would really be all that impressive?

Under our political system, what's more important to the decision makers is in the number of votes. When parties are all congregated in the centre and the swing vote of a few hundred can make or break the election, that's what counts. Keeping people in Jobs is what matters to them than real financial benefits.

[photohiker]

Given the Airwalk is on Tasmania's top 10 tourist lists, I can't imagine closing it for 6 weeks is economic. It will damage the income present and future, as well as the reputation.

Last I heard, FT gets a few dollars per tonne of good timber and they burn the rest.

The Tahune Airwalk, one of Tasmania's most popular tourist drawcards, will close for six weeks to allow for logging.

The Airwalk, near Geeveston, is an elevated walkway through a stand of some of the highest flowering trees in the world.

It is on several Top 10 Tasmanian tourist attraction lists but will be closed to visitors until the end of August.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-20/t ... ng/6633316

[stepbystep]

The coupe is surrounded by noted and protected forest giants, you can see those reserves on the map, this cuts the heart out. What would be economic is to have a bushwalk between these giants through intact forest, it's so beautiful. The sounds of the forest still haunt me today, the birdsong, the smells. All that biodiversity to be mashed by man and machine, for what?

[doogs]

Have they started logging, or do you know when they plan to start? ie. are they upgrading the road to cope with a large amount of trucks that will be passing through the area, or are they logging while the road is closed to prevent uproar, or both..?

[Strider]

Isn't the airwalk owned and operated by FT? Is the return on running a tourist venture higher than the return on logging?

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[stepbystep]

No idea if it's started. They are all set to go though. This is about ideology, not money. Road was closed last night. I will walk in at some stage to bear witness.

[MickyB]

Isn't the airwalk owned and operated by FT?

Yes it is.

Tahune Airwalk is a Forestry Tasmania-owned and operated tourist attraction in Tasmania.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahune_Airwalk

[RichB]

This cancer the Australian/state Govts need to be stopped not tomorrow,but now.

[north-north-west]

I would love to see some sort of Cost Benefit Analysis on this ( i.e.; what the state actually stands to make out of these logs. )
Can't imaging the figures would really be all that impressive?

By the time you factor in the cost of road construction/upgrading/maintenance the taxpayers are actually subsidising the activity.

[Mechanic-AL]

By the time you factor in the cost of road construction/upgrading/maintenance the taxpayers are actually subsidising the activity.[/quote]

Take away the loss of tourist revenue from the closure of the air walk (as mentioned) and the net profit is going to look even more absurd!

[RichB]

What can be expected from this govt excrement..thy are a danger to all of us in tasmania..I'm surprised the whole of tasmania isn't on the streets in uproar and to send this govt down into the hell it belongs in..

[GPSGuided]

For them, it's not about the money in the govt acct.

[devoswitch]

It's amazing how many Tasmanians support such activity.
I work for a local council and brought it up in a meeting this morning. The majority of people out of around 15-20 supported it. It's a shame really....

[RichB]

Well Tasmania is the redneck/Bogan capital of the Southern hemisphere...Just look at the state of 80% of the black clothed troglodites that walk around Burnie on a day time..Its no wonder most of the people in this state are so apathetic..

[devoswitch]

Yeah you're right Rich there definitely are a lot of Bogans etc around Tassie... however I don't think it's very fair to judge people just on the predominant colour of their clothes

[geoskid]

Thanks for the heads up about the road closure.

Makes sense to undertake the essential maintenance to the road and the Tahune airwalk in the quiet period and between school holidays.

To also undertake harvesting of a coupe scheduled for 2015/16 at the same time seems like efficient planning.

Well done FT.

[stepbystep]

Thanks for the heads up about the road closure.

Makes sense to undertake the essential maintenance to the road and the Tahune airwalk in the quiet period and between school holidays.

To also undertake harvesting of a coupe scheduled for 2015/16 at the same time seems like efficient planning.

Well done FT.

The road is fine, believe their spin and you'll believe anything. I counted a dozen potholes max ...

[aloftas]

I must say, the road did look like a superhighway.
Spin, Spam and Sporridge...

(I just made "sporridge" up but in bushwalker speak, that would be spam and porridge mornay


yummm


tuckers up beaches.


What A look for ann international tourist destination....

instead of Monty Python "Fork Arf I am full"

It is Fork Arf we are closed.

^I made that up as well.

Ridiculous,

Probably a Tiger up there.

^*sigh* I made [b]that[b] up as well.

[vicrev]

Colourful descriptions,aloftas...luv it.....

[geoskid]

Thanks for the heads up about the road closure.

Makes sense to undertake the essential maintenance to the road and the Tahune airwalk in the quiet period and between school holidays.

To also undertake harvesting of a coupe scheduled for 2015/16 at the same time seems like efficient planning.

Well done FT.

The road is fine, believe their spin and you'll believe anything. I counted a dozen potholes max ...

Don't you think PWS would have made a fuss if access to one of their Parks was being closed for close to 3 weeks unnecessarily. Or are they in on the conspiracy with goodness knows who else to dupe the public via this public notice?
I'm only interested in whether the public notice is correct.
If you want to suggest it is not, follow the implications.

[stepbystep]

PWS won't mind, it's hardly an earner for them, on the contrary less impact on the area for 3 weeks may be advantageous to them. Outdoor educators and rafting companies are put out, and out of pocket. Your tax dollars are being spent here on gates and roads to benefit one logging contractor. One things for sure, the road will need fixing once they "harvest" the coupe...