The Environment Centre NT and other conservation groups across northern Australia are gravely concerned over the large scale clearing of native forests on Melville Island 50km north of Darwin. Melville and Bathurst Islands together make up the famous Tiwi Islands which are owned by the Indigenous Traditional Owners via a Land Trust.

The forest clearing project was initially a 'joint venture' between a woodchip export company, Sylvatech Ltd, and the Tiwi Land Council (TLC) - which is legally required to represent the views and interests of the Island's Traditional Owners.

In 2001 the Commonwealth Environment Minister (then Robert Hill) gave Sylvatech approval for 26,000 hectares of native forest clearing on Melville under the EPBC Act - despite widespread scientific concerns about the impacts of clearing on many endemic and endangered native wildlife species.

Last year Sylvatech was bought-out by WA-based 'prospectus' (tax minimisation) plantation company Great Southern Plantations Ltd (GSP). GSP is now pushing ahead with the project, secretly getting Commonwealth EPBC approval late last year to clear 10,000 hectares this year alone - making it the single largest native vegetation clearing project in northern Australia.

The clearing of the native forests is to make way for the establishment of thousands of hectares of monoculture plantations of an exotic species (acacia mangium) for use as woodchips to be exported to Japan and China. As the native forests are chained, bulldozed and burnt to make way for the plantations a small proportion of the trees are cut into sawlogs for export to southern Australia and overseas (marketted as 'Tiwi Red' timber).

Scientific/ecological concerns

"Extensive plantation development is now occurring on the Tiwi Islands, and is likely to expand considerably over the next few decades. This development targets the tallest and most well developed eucalypt forest environments, which are especially favoured by C. penicillatus (brushtailed rabbit-rat) and much used by many other mammal species. Our results suggest that most of these species are absent or uncommon in the plantations that replace these forests, and hence that this development will substantially reduce the status of these mammal species on this island stronghold."

Reference: Journal of Biogeography (2006); Environmental relationships of the brushtailed rabbit-rat, Conilurus penicillatus, and other small mammals on the Tiwi Islands, northern Australia; Ronald S. C. Firth, John C. Z. Woinarski, Kym G. Brennan and Craig Hempel, 2006

The Tiwi Islands have been designated as being of “International Significance” by the NT Government (Parks and Conservation Masterplan, NT Government, 2005). One reason is the high number of endemic and endangered species for which the Islands are a stronghold as populations decline on the mainland.

The Tiwi Islands support about 20 endemic plant and vertebrate animal species and sub-species, and about 44 species and sub-species considered threatened at Territory or national level (including 14 species and sub-species listed under the Commonwealth EPBC Act). Most of these species either live in or make use of the forests being cleared by GSP. Eucalypt forests, which are being cleared for exotic plantations, are better developed in this bioregion than anywhere else in northern Australia and provide habitat for a number of declared species, including:

o Red goshawk
o Partridge pigeon
o Masked owl (endemic subspecies)
o Butler’s dunnart
o False water rat

Also on the Islands are:
o At least 15 endemic subspecies of birds and mammals.
o 14 rainforest plant species that occur nowhere else but the Tiwi Is
o Two rainforest types which are restricted to the Tiwi Is

The clearing of the forests for plantations not only destroys and fragments habitat but also involves impacts on water quality and recharge (streams and groundwater); widespread use of pesticides and fertilisers never before used in such quantities on the Islands; and increased risk of erosion (this is a cyclone-prone area), weeds (including the acacia species itself), and destructive fires.

Land rent rip off?

As well as concerns over environmental impacts, the Environment Centre NT is concerned that the Island people are being exploited by the plantation company in terms of what they are being paid for the use of their land. The company's own documents give rise to this fear:

"COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT / MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday,17February2005
Great Southern Plantations Limited (ASX Code GTP) is pleased to announce its intention to make a takeover bid for Sylvatech Limited and at the same time acquire certain assets from Environinvest Limited...Sylvatech is an unlisted public company involved in the development and management of forestry projects on the Tiwi Islands. The Sylvatech acquisition will provide Great Southern access to extensive plantation land for future projects at a significant discount to current market prices for land in Great Southern's traditional plantation regions [in southern Australia]. (source: GSP Media release, Feb 2005)

"The project currently involves some 33,000 hectares of leasehold property on a 30 year term with an option for another 30 years, and an option to enter further leases for up to a potential 50,000 hectares of land…This land represents a valuable resource for Great Southern, which is likely to represent a capital saving to the company of about $40 million annually over the next 8 years. Because of the size of its plantation projects Great Southern is uniquely placed to use the Tiwi land in a balanced portfolio which will see it account for about 20% of expected plantings in future years." (source: GSP Annual Report 2005)

Expansion plans: All hands needed!

As bad as the current project is, its impacts would be dwarfed if GSP's expansion plans were approved. The company (and its predecessor Sylvatech) are on record saying they want to expand the project to at least 80,000 hectares, i.e. around 20% of Melville Island. The company is currently trying to secure Traditional Owners agreements for their land to be cleared. Because several Ministers in the Howard government are strongly backing the project there is a possibility that environmental approval for the expansion will be forthcoming no matter how serious the impacts.

These Ministers like to make out that this project is some kind of great new way forward for Indigenous communities - despite all the environmental, social, cultural and economic impacts and risks. These Ministers like to talk about jobs for Islander people but after four years of operation there are only FOUR Islanders employed by GSP to work on the plantation project (out of a total permanent workforce of about 60).

Although the Tiwi Land Council currently supports the project and its expansion, many other Islanders do not - and there has been strong opposition in recent months to the way the Land Council and the company are operating. Many people on the Islands can see the damage that is being done and want a more sustainable form of economic development that builds on the beautiful natural environment and the strong culture of the Indigenous people.

It is vital for the future of the Tiwi islands that this expansion is not approved. If it is we will witness another situation like Tasmania or the Solomon Islands.

Please help ECNT stop this expansion by:

• becoming a member or donating to our campaign - see www.ecnt.org <http://www.ecnt.org> or email ecnt@octa4.net.au

• contacting the Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell