Tasmanian Boat building timber availability

[dopeydriver]

It would be interesting to hear what the "real Juliar" thought.
I also saw an article by a former Tasmanian Premier (Field?) saying that government disunity was caused by a couple of ministers pushing their own agenda , to the detriment of government.
But it seems to have "disappeared".
I wonder which ministers they would be ?.
Can someone tell me , are Celery top and Huon Pine seedlings available to buy ?.
Seems to me it would be a nice thing to have planted in a nice wet spot.
And I've got plenty of them here.
Rob J.

[Bernt]

Rob,
They are really easy to buy, at most nurseries in Tassie, also seeds. Celery Top looks really good too, if I had some good wet spots I'd plant some. Don't expect them to do much growing... very slow.
They use Huon for bonsai trees.

[dopeydriver]

Thank you Bernt , that sounds GREAT !.
An old neighbour of mine planted Huon Pines on his property 30 years ago , and yes , while they are slow growing , they look good , and it gives him an inner satisfaction.
This place is very wet for 9-10 months of the year , and there is plenty of subsurface moisture for the other 2 months .
I've put drains in , but its still very , very wet peaty ground.
Now I'll have to check if I can bring them in to Victoria , legally.Seeds would be the go.
We have planted out about 70 fruit and nut trees , and Norfolk Pines , some Celery Top and Huon Pines will go well.
Hopefully some little snot won't cut them down , in the next 400 years or so !.
Regards and thanks
Rob J.

[KevM]

Thank you Bernt , that sounds GREAT !.
An old neighbour of mine planted Huon Pines on his property 30 years ago , and yes , while they are slow growing , they look good , and it gives him an inner satisfaction.
This place is very wet for 9-10 months of the year , and there is plenty of subsurface moisture for the other 2 months .
I've put drains in , but its still very , very wet peaty ground.
Now I'll have to check if I can bring them in to Victoria , legally.Seeds would be the go.
We have planted out about 70 fruit and nut trees , and Norfolk Pines , some Celery Top and Huon Pines will go well.
Hopefully some little snot won't cut them down , in the next 400 years or so !.
Regards and thanks
Rob J.

Check out seed prices here packet of Huon Pine seeds only $3.50.

[dopeydriver]

Thank you Kev , much appreciated.
Regards Rob J.

[dopeydriver]

This was sent to me by John Conroy , a journalist for the "Weekly Times".
Any comment ? , its all news to me !.
Regards Rob J.
" From a Tasmanian Government spokesperson:

“The Intergovernmental Agreement is about securing a sustainable future for the Tasmanian timber industry.

“One element of that industry is the trade in special species timber. The Agreement recognises this and provides, subject to verification, 12,500 cubic metres of special species timber per annum.

“The particular timber needs of the wooden boat building industry were recognised and planned for several years ago, long before the IGA talks commenced.

“Under the Forests and Forest Industry Council program, a Wooden Boat Board Bank (WBBB) was established. This initiative came out of the Regional Forests Agreement process.

“Quantities of appropriate boat building timber were accumulated, processed, racked, packed and stored under the management of the Forests and Forest Industry Council (FFIC).

“Audits have been carried out as part of that management program over the years since the WBBB was established. The WBBB was overseen by a “board” or committee, established by the FFIC which included boat builders.

“More recently, as FFIC’s work program has changed direction, FFIC entered into negotiations with Forestry Tasmania who offered to assist in the ongoing management of the wood bank. That process has been completed and FT is now managing this resource under a new arrangement.

“The timber is still in packs and is (or will soon be) stored at Island Specialty Timbers outlets in Geeveston and Smithton. The WBBB timber is specifically for boat builders. "

[KevM]

Rob, there are concerns amongst the Wooden Boat builders about the quality of the timber in this "Bank".

I will leave it to Andrew to expound on if he wishes.

[wavedancer]

Rob my memory is not great, but I think The "Hon" Micheal Field was the first power hungry mongrel that sighned Tassy over to Brown, Milnes and Co the first time.
Ian L

[dopeydriver]

Jeez , I've just spoken to AD and did he light up !!.
Its an absolute cockup !.
I'm hoping one of the journalists with an interest in this will get all of the facts together , and present it to the Nation .
From what AD has told me , its one hell of a story.
AD , mate , you get more intense and wound up than me !.
But its understandable , from what you have told me.
Regards Rob J.

[dopeydriver]

Kev , you are right , but there is a lot more than that to be concerned with.
I've spoken to AD a few times over the years , but when I read out this e-mail to him over the phone , well , did he light up !.
I've never heard him swear before , but man , he was swearing this morning !.
Ian , what I got out of the Field article was that he wasn't happy with a couple of ministers "pushing their own agenda".
And he is probably right , but its probably of his making anyway .
No wonder you got out mate !.
Regards Rob J.

[dopeydriver]

"Forestry Tasmania has reported its second operating loss in as many years.
The state-owned company has reported an operating loss of $12 million for the year to June.
It is a slight improvement on its previous result which has been revised to a $12.2 million deficit due to a change in the way the company must report.
Forestry Tasmania has described its last financial year as a tough one.
Chairman Adrian Kloeden says the company has moved to significantly reduce operating costs, including reducing its work force from 400 to 350 full time equivalents.
He says the closure of the Triabunna woodchip mill had the biggest impact on the budget bottom line.
The company reported a $100 million write down of its forest assets due to the federal forest peace deal.
Under the deal some of the company's coupes will be locked up from logging."
Rob J.

[bloggs1968]

Ok, I'll bite.

The Wooden Boat Board Bank was established under Clause 12 of the 1997 Tasmanian RFA. A federal governmant grant of $200k was provided to establish a Wooden Boat Board Bank to;

to establish a trading house and permanent storage facility for wooden boat boards, such that irregular supply & demand patterns can be managed to optimise the long term state-wide recovery of boards suited to wooden boat board building in particular King Billy, Huon & Celery Top Pine. Ensure that timbers in demand for boat building are not converted to lesser uses. Assist boat builders to obtain forward orders by demonstrating that timber meeting specifications will be available”. ( WBBB Original Protocols)

Sounds great doesn't it.

In fact no timber was purchased for many years and then only uinder threat of the federal government withdrawing the funding. Due to non existent/extremely poor management the WBBB ended up with a bunch of inappropriate timber ( there is some nice stuff though) that was not boat grade. There has never been any management plan for the WBBB and for many years only 3 boat builders new about it because FFIC did not advertise the fact to anyone in industry that it existed ( I was told they didn't know where to start.....). There are still only a handful of boat builders who even know about it. It was recently transferred to FT (with a bit of pushing in the background by your truly) after a few anomalies in stock holdings...............

I have been trying to get this thing to work correctly since I found out about it in 2006 and to be honest it has been like bashing my head against 50 brick walls. Very little timber has ever been sold as it has not been packed in agreed sizes and many packs contain timber for mixes of construction such as carvel, cold molding and clinker. I have been fighting the people who run this to not sell the timber off to mainland boat builders as it was a Tassie specific initiative and the RFA was explicit in its intent but I am pushing it uphill all the way.

I have also been trying to get these guys to skew WBBB species holdings that are relevant to industry demand but again, nothing has been done and there seems to be little desire to see what could be a wonderful initiative work properly.

The assumption that the boat builders have been looked after in the IGA by the WBBB is an absolute lie and those in government that released that statement would be well aware of that. The bottom line is that if we can't get the resource then this initiative can't even exist.

Ok now I'm fuming.

AD

[KevM]

That was a little more restrained response than I expected, Andrew!

[bloggs1968]

Remeber Kev, Tassie is a small place.................... I'll save my choice words for the spin doctor who issued that press release -if they have the courage to own up to it.

AD

[dopeydriver]

Kev , you should have heard the earful I got !!!!.
Hmm , and what was that saying on the TV show "AND THERE IS MORE !!".
A lot more.
I just drove down to Portland , mulling over this on the way down and back.
I've known personally a few Politicians over the years , Labor , Liberal and National .
Two men I hold in the highest regard were a Tasmanian Labor Senator/Minister , and a QLD Liberal Minister.
I knew them over many years , and if I had a problem , I went to them , and they got it sorted.
My eldest son considered going to Hobart Uni , the Labor Senator organised , and accompanied us on a guided tour of the place.
I hold him in the highest esteem.
The Liberal man , whether in power or in opposition always knew who to call on.
Nothing underhand , just straight forward , fix the problem.
I also know a Labor Politician who was hidiously corrupt , and is still in Parliament !.
But anyway , I thought of what AD told me , and I couldn't help but think "where is the integrity of these people ???.
AD , and others , stick their neck out time and again , tell the people in a position of responsibilty what is REALLY going on , and what happens ?? SFA !.
You know , you can get all the BS and wind from the PM's press release , and you could never"sew a button on that".There is no substance , its all wind.
Or , you could be presented with a whole lot of cold hard facts , and get in to it , get it sorted !.
Instead , there are denials , or silence , or try to sabotage the informants , get to their e-mail !!!.
Its a much bigger and more complex fight than I imagined AD , but you have a few more in your corner now !.
Regards Rob J.