Thread: Huon Pine burnt

This may be an old story (2003) but I found a few references to it recently about the 3000 tonnes of Huon pine that was accidently burnt in a bushfire after Forestry Tasmania incorrectly stored it. Apparrently it was the stockpile that was supposed to last 10 years or more.

Were Huon logs burnt due to Tasmanian forestry bungle?

The Wilderness Society has been informed by industry sources that millions of dollars worth of Huon Pine were burnt because of a bungle by Forestry Tasmania that resulted in the logs being stranded above water-level. Wilderness Society Tasmanian Campaign Coordinator, Geoff Law, called on Forestry Tasmania to clear the air over rumours circulating about the burning of the log dump.
"We've been informed that the fundamental reason for the burning of the logs was a mistake by Forestry Tasmania that left the logs high and dry, instead of floating in Lake Gordon," Mr Law said.
The logs were supposed to be kept floating in Lake Gordon, constrained by a boom attached by ropes to the shore. This was to keep the logs moist and out of harm's way.
But Mr Law said that the Society had been informed that: * Forestry Tasmania had failed to extend ropes attached to the boom around the logs as the water in the Gordon Dam receded. * When the water receded, the logs were left high and dry, amongst other flammable debris left on the shore. * A spark from power lines ignited a fire on the Twelve Trees Range, west of the log dump. * The Parks and Wildlife Service lit a back-burn. * A spot fire from the Twelve Trees Range burnt the Huon Pine logs, which could burn easily, because of their high and dry position.
"It appears that this wasteful destruction of millions of dollars worth of Huon Pine would have been avoided if the ropes had been extended several months ago, to allow the logs to remain floating out of harm's way on the waters of Lake Gordon."

http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaig...a/20030207_mr/


there other references here
http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/service...sigw0103.shtml

and in the Parlimentry Hansard report of the time..