FORESTRY PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 21 May 1925, Page 5

FORESTRY PROBLEM

DISQUIETING, POSITION IN

AUSTRALIA

school; to be founded,

.(FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

SYDNEY, 15th May

Australia's "forestry sense" appears to have been more or less awakened from a Rig "Van Winkle sleep by a drastic report from the Commonwealth Forestry Adviser (Mr. C. E. Lane Poole). The matter of guarding this portion of our national resources and wealth has too long, been left in the- hands of a few enthusiasts and skilled foresters, who have been far outnumbered by those who have butchered our forests for commercial or settlement purposes. Mr. Lane Poole's report proves, if it has never been proved before, that the policy of encouraging, the settler to rid virgin country of trees by wasteful eradication and the miller to cut into forests haphazardly is derogatory to the climate, rainfall, and soil conditions. Cruel waste of .timber is .being persisted in, although the practice is lessening as the years go by, and users aro brought face to face against a continually rising cost. With: so little improvement done, so great an amount of developmental work ahead, this is a serious matter. But we aro still destroying at a greater rate than we are replacing. Mr. Lane Poole pointed out in his report that we are importing 42 per cent, of our requirements, "a figure which, in view of the youth of Australia, and its relatively-speaking small population, is very disquieting." In Western Australia alone last year, nearly 600,000 tons of timber were consumed in the mines for fuel purposes. Australia's own supplies are mostly hardwood; her most urgent need is softwood. The one State exporting timber in excess of imports is Western Australia, and even there the forests are being cut out six times faster than they are growing. The maximum area of land capable of growing commercial forests is estimated at 24,----500,000 acres. A small proportion of this is carrying virgin forest. The remainder is covered with a bad growth of uneven, aged timber, which has grown up more or less haphazardly after the sawmillers have picked out the best. In short, a minimum of timber is standing on a maximum area of land. Out of the area classed as capable of carrying forests, only 10,500,000 acres have actually been dedicated as permanent forest reserves. The interests having in hand either the cutting of timber or settlement of land have prevented further dedication of Australia's timber heritage. Money and trained staffs are considered by Mr. Lane Poole to be essential to_ change the position. A school at Adelaide University is the only one in Australia purporting to give .a full course in forestry, but su impressed was the Federal Government with the seriousness of its adviser's report that almost immediately it decided to establish a forestry school in the Federal Capital territory. The Federal Government will pay the cost of erecting the necessary buildings, and for the maintenance and salaries of -tho teaching staff. The State Governments will bear the cost of students' subsistence, and will guarantee to absorb them in their forestry departments on completion of their courses.