Why clearfell logging the Otways needed to stop

The following webpages have beed retained as a resouce to explain why OREN conducted a camapign to have clearfell logging in the Otways banned.

Overview

Most of the former Otway state forest (90,000 ha) was managed for logging.

Logging in the Otways was not profitable - Victorian taxpayers pay about $1 million each year to have their forests in the Otways logged.

Approximately three square kilometres was logged each year. This is an area roughly the size of the Melbourne city area. The forest was logged using a method called clearfell logging which destroys all vegetation.

There are only two industries that benefited from logging of the Otway forest: the woodchip industry and the sawn timber industry.

Logging was predominantly for woodchips. 60% of money that the government received from Otway logging was from woodchips. More than 70% of trees cut down went directly to be woodchipped. Including offcuts from sawn timber, more than 80% of trees ended up as woodchips. Without woodchipping, logging just for sawlogs would be unprofitable.

Sawn timber from the Otways is predominantly low grade timber, for use on construction sites or for fence pailings. Only about 6% of hardwood taken from the forest (for woodchips or sawn timber) was high grade timber that could be used in construction or furniture.

Sawmills that take timber from the Otways do not make a profit. The owners of the sawmills benefit from logging because they own shares in the biggest woodchip mill in Geelong.

More detailed Information

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