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EXPOSING DEVELOPERS WHO FAIL TO APPRECIATE AND RESPECT COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND SPIRIT OF THE LAND
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Selected Potoroo* Articles 1990 - 2005

*Potoroo newsletter of Concerned Residents of East Gippsland and in later years Environment East Gippsland.

Was known as "Local Rag" from 1979 with the formation of CROEG in that year. First edition of Potoroo was #106 (September 1988). From this time until #115 (when CROEG reduced its scope and took on a new flavour) Potoroo took on many social change issues and was based on a layout collective of between 3 - 9 people. Potoroo took on a slightly more professional look with the release of #115 and reduced its focus to ultimately devote itself almost entirely to forest issues. The collective nature of the newsletter also appears to be waned considerably after 1990, falling more and more on one person.

Not all Editions of Potoroo could be sourced for this Web Page. However what this webpage intends to show is that Potoroo held alot of sway amongst some forest campaigners, who were clearly steered in their thinking by what was presented in Potoroo.

109 Jan - Feb 1990

In a page ten article first references to plantations in an article by Carol. "Most of Victoria's future timber needs could come from plantations started now. In the meantime logging must be done in a way that cares for the environment".

116 Mar - Apr 1990

In the article "What is the Future for the Timber Industry in East Gippsland", "...With the reduced allocations to move East Gippsland back to a sustainable timber industry and the inevitable competition from softwood plantations, jobs in the industry can be protected by diversifying and stabilising the economy..."

124 July Aug 1991

Comment: Edition 124 Page 5: First mention of TWS campaign to promote pine. 17 years later Jill headed an article entitled "Plantations Suck".

130 July Aug 1992

Comment: Edition 130 Page 9: Judy Clark mention - featured in edition of Potoroo not located

Comment: Edition 130 Page 3 First mention of Good Wood Advisory Centre and is complementary

131 Sep Oct 1992

135 June July 1993

Comment: Edition 135: Wilderness Society supporting the plantation industry and also note CROEG advertisment for craftwoods. This would have fitted in nicely with CROEG philosophy at the time.

136 Aug Sep 1993

Comment: Insert Edition 136 CROEG forest policy formulation was not based on no native forest logging!

137 Oct Dec 1993

Comment: Edition 137 Page 7 Another mention of Wilderness Society and support for pine

140 May Jun 1994

Comment: Edition 140 Page 9 Another mention of Good Guide, but not for Australian timbers. Definite ideological problem arising with Potoroo leaning towards pine, despite not have a no native forest logging policy themselves.

141 Jul Aug 1994

Comment: Edition 141 Page 9. More pine promotion but allowing Darren Gladman to respond.

142 Sep Oct 1994

143 Nov Dec 94

Comment: Edition 143: Potoroo promoting pine despite knowing about pesticide problems re: atrazine.

146 Jun Jul 1995

Comment: Edition 146 Jill promoting pine, despite not having same policy for CROEG. A deliberate plugging to the ideologs at Wilderness Society, but how realistic for residents of East Gippsland?

149 Feb Mar 1996

Comment Edition 149: To solve this idelogical issue, Jill decides to get the boots stuck into Friends of the Earth, by getting an anonymous side kick to appeal to Potoroo Members that this could also happen to them if they don't adopt no native forest logging line, like Jill and Wilderness Society.

Comment Edition 149: Glowing endorsement of Alan Gray

Comment Edition 149: More pro plantation propaganda including arguements that would be cheered by industrial capitalists!!! . Note the authors. Linda Parlane head of EV. Jill is sold on plantations, although all of CROEG's members may not agree.

150 April May 1996

Excellent letter presenting a different philosophical point of view than the anonymous Lone Ranger and Jill. This letter sums up the difficult and contentious issues supporting a non native forest logging stance. This hardline no native forest logging stance caused ruptures in the Victorian forest movement which have not healed 12 years later. It contributed to an all or nothing strategy which has helped generate a massive problem for the grassroots.

The plantation glut glowingly revewed in the previous newsletter obviously does not take into account Amcor's shortage problems. If there are enough plantations why does Amcor have to establish new plantations? This also shows Jill wading into the complex Strzelecki issue, relying of information from unreliable sources.

151 Aug Sep 1996

Comment Edition 151: First mention of Forest Stewardship Council and exclusiion of almost all timber from native forests. Jill not entirely 100% plantation (yet)

Comment Edition 151: Feedback from FoE and also Alan Gray responding to CROEG people not happy to endorse no native forest logging. Edition where this letter published not located. Jill's dilemma. How to promote plantations when own group does not support this policy. Answer join a group that does. Wilderness Society.

152 Oct Nov 1996

Comment edition 152: Free kick for Wilderness Society

154 Winter 1996

More talk about the Strzeleckis again from unreliable sources closely associated with Environment Victoria. It later transpired that information supplied to EV was provided by a mole working for Amcor. Jill reprints the insinuations not properly understanding the complexities.

155 Spring 1997

After getting in wrong in the previous issue about the Strzeleckis, Jill falters again actually promoting a company logging high conservation value forests in the Strzeleckis. What has this got to do with East Gippsland? This must have been an attempt by Jill to answer the hardwood plantation sawlog quandry. By promoting Strzelecki hardwoods, there would be no need to buy hardwood from elsewhere (eg East Gippsland). She even gives their phone number!

156 Dec - Feb 1997/8

Jill acknowledges she stuffed up and tries to regain Strzelecki credibility.

157 Autumn 1998

East Gippsland has bugger all plantations. To her credit Jill publishes this article about the downside of plantations moving into East Gippsland, however doesn't prise the point out that if plantations are bad in this location in East Gippsland, why are they any better outside of East Gippsland?

158 Winter 1998

Comment Edition 158: Jill commenting on sale of VPC.

Comment: Jill comments about issues of plantations starting to cause some problems in East Gippsland but publishes another glowing plantation endorsement (below). East Gippsland does not have a large plantation base making a shift into plantations, particularly south of NSW difficult.

160 Summer 1998

More concern over the Strzeleckis, pity about the glowing endorsement of Planthard in edition #155, the major buyer of VPC hardwood sawlogs.

161 Autumn 1999

Plug for Alan Gray

162 Winter 1999

166 Spring 2000

Another plantation glut story. Still doesn't explain issues raised in #150, regarding if there is enough hardwood plantations already why are companies such as Amcor needing to plant more to satisfy their needs.

169 Winter 2001

Comment Edition 169: Jill now networking with Liberals for Forest. Suresh Pathy.

171 Summer 2001/02

172 Autumn 2002

173 Winter 2002

Comment Edition 173: CROEG trying to reach out to loggers. I doubt it. How to do this in East Gippsland with pro-plantation policy?.

Comment Edition 173: Jill sticks boots into Labor. ALP is rat excreta!

175 autumn 2003

Interesting take on Wombat forest issue, where Melbourne water supplies are targeted to meet sawlog shortfalls in Wombat!!!

176 Winter 2003

178 Summer 2003-4

Whoops, after push push pushing the plantation agenda, storm clouds of over supply emerging on the horizon. What was that article about #150 April May 1996, a problem of scale...

181 Spring 2004

Comment Edition 181: two anti plantation articles and one pro plantation article in the same edition. Jill trying to cover her bases.

182 Summer 2004/05

Has Jill spoken to Brazilians about impacts of tree monocultures?

190 Summer 2007

Jill misfires on Strzeleckis again with inaccurate comments about Friends of Gippsland Bush. But who needs the A-Team when Planthard received glowing endorsements in 97?

193 Summer 07/08

The philosophical dilemma with old allies now looking shaky

195 Winter 2008

Yes well in Spring 97 Jill was recommending that people buy timber from the Strzeleckis from unspecified areas (HCV forests actually). The same areas which Friends of Gippsland Bush and others were trying to protect.

Really!