Dear Editor
In your column "Constructive feedback welcome" (BDN 14/6/13) you asked readers "What news do you want to read?" This question was prompted by a reader who had complained that there was "no news" in a recent paper.
The following are some examples of significant news that your readers have not had an opportunity to read:Your paper was supplied with all of these statements and chose not to publish them. There is a large and vigorous community campaign in this region to save our native forests from woodchipping. Anyone relying on your newspaper would not know that.
- SEFE makes another (bigger) loss, 24 May 2013. The Eden chipmill made a $3M loss in 2012 and is struggling to survive in a market that increasingly rejects native forest woodchips.
- Japanese Forest Campaigners visit South East Forests, 21 April 2013. Local forest campaigners are joining up with Japanese counterparts to influence market choices by paper manufacturers in Japan.
- Government Closes Door on Native Forest Wood Fired Energy, 21 March 2013. A federal Government regulation reaffirmed that native forest wood was not eligible to for Renewable Energy Certificates.
- Chipmill Pellet Plant Scrapped, 21 February 2013. This million dollar mistake by the chipmill was page 1 news when it was approved by Council but apparently of no interest when it closed.
- Truth about Woodchip Contract could ?wind up Eden Woodchip Export Business?, 11 January 2013. The chipmill has blocked a Freedom of Information request by a local forest campaigner for details of its Wood Supply Agreement (WSA) with the Forestry Corporation. This made it the only WSA in the State that was secret and it is, incidentally, still secret.
Anyone who would like to read news about this campaign can do so at: http://www.chipstop.savetheforests.org.au/media.html
Sincerely
Harriett Swift14 June 2013