Timbers

New Guinea’S Inland

Permit For One Firm Only

DESPITE Opposition protests, the Fed eral Government proposes to go ahead with its plan to grant to one firm (by tender) the exclusive right to cut 50,000,000 super feet, in the Bulolo forests, New Guinea. Mr. Cur tin Mr A. E. Green and others, urged that, instead of one permit, the area and the quantity should be divided among several permits.

The Minister has advised that, after consultation with the Inspector-General of Forests, he has been influenced by the following reasons;— The Bulolo forest is a comparatively small area.

The mill proposed is not as large as many in Queensland and smaller than the majority in Western Australia.

The position of the permit area neces sitates very heavy expenditure, both as regards the saw-mill and its branch (the ply mill) and a battery of kilns, and also in the provision of communica tion to the coast. This expenditure can be borne only by a reputable firm at tracted by a reasonable quantity of raw product.

Marketing of timber from New Guinea presents problems which are most effi ciently solved by firms already in the business who have the necessary well organised sales branch.

Supplies of Hoop Pine in Australia will be exhausted in about seven years and it is therefore, important that a strong reputable firm start the industry in New Guinea, which must, as time goes on, be the supplier of Australia’s needs in this quality of pine and cabinet woods.

Forestry will be best served both as regards reforesting the area and enforc ing forestry regulations if the area is let to one strong firm rather than to a num ber of small men.

The proposal is to grow the pine in plantation formation as the mill cuts the timber out, thus more than making good the wastage, for the second growth will yield more timber to the acre than the virgin forest. The rotation is 40 years, so that when the last of the 200,000,000 super feet of pine, now esti mated to be in the Bulolo Valley, has been converted, the plantations first made will be ready for cutting. This sys tem, which is in force in all countries where forestry is understood, results in a sustained yield for all time.

No reliable estimate of the Bulolo Valley cedar is available, but it is thought to be no less than 250,000 super feet.