05/09/2025
With a decision on the Great Koala National Park imminent, this is a rather timely reminder of the past hypocrisy of the political class!!
"But politics trumped science. In the rush to placate green activists based in the cities far away and score international accolades, the Commonwealth extinguished a sustainable industry and discredited the very foresters who understood the forest best."
"It was not the foresters who decimated forests during World War II and the post-war housing boom; political decisions were made under expedient pressure. Yet when the environmental zeitgeist shifted, it was not the politicians who were blamed for past excesses. It was the foresters who were left to defend themselves without support."
"Meanwhile, politicians revelled in their rainforest timber offices in the new Parliament House, moralising about the need to “save” forests they had already plundered."
Chris Minns Prue Car MP Daniel Mookhey MLC Kate Washington MP Mark Buttigieg MLC Yasmin Catley MP Sophie Cotsis Paul Scully MP Courtney Houssos Jenny Aitchison MP Jihad Dib MP Ron Hoenig MP Tara Moriarty MLC Emily Suvaal Greg Warren MP Lynda Voltz MP
Edmond Atalla MP Stephen Bali MP Anoulack Chanthivong Julia Finn MP Nathan Hagarty MP David Harris MP Dr Michael Holland MP - Member for Bega Charishma Kaliyanda Steve Kamper Dr Joe McGirr MP David Mehan MP Ryan Park MP Liesl Tesch MP Anthony D'Adam Taylor Martin MLC Tania Mihailuk MP Mark Banasiak Peter Primrose MLC Carpentry Australia
When I began my forestry career in New South Wales, rainforest logging had already ended.
By then, the public debate was heating up in Queensland, and foresters were under attack. I remember the headlines, the protests, and the relentless claims that foresters were environmental vandals destroying ancient rainforests for profit.
At the time, I couldn’t understand it. We were taught to manage forests with care, guided by science, and committed to long-term sustainability. So, how could we be painted as villains?
For a while, I let the noise influence me. At times, I was even ashamed to call myself a forester, such were the accusations levelled against our profession.
Although I had the opportunity to manage some of these beautiful forests for production in Tasmania, it was under very different conditions from those on the mainland and was limited in scope.
But as the years passed and I dug deeper into the history, the silvicultural systems, and the integrity of those who came before me, the truth became clear. Foresters weren’t the enemy. They were scapegoats. Political expediency had thrown them under the bus to appease activists and secure votes, all while politicians condemning rainforest logging sat in lavish offices lined with rainforest timber.
This blog post has been a long time coming. I’ve touched on parts of the story before — from the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, to the Border Ranges and Terania Creek battles, to the rich timber history of the Hastings Valley.
But this is the story I’ve always wanted to tell, not just to set the record straight, but to honour the profession that was betrayed while doing its job with quiet pride.
You can read the story at this link: https://www.robertonfray.com/2025/09/05/oh-the-irony/
The "Blue hour" photograph of Parliament House, Canberra is from Thennicke, via Wikimedia Commons.
