No-one writes more eloquently about the hazards
of burning rainforest than does David Lindenmayer,
ANU’s professor of forest ecology (the Age 040120).
He says if rainforest trees are cut down, regrowth
“becomes more prone to high severity fire”.
But I can’t forgive him for omitting the Otways.
Victoria has back-burned this forest for many years
and he must have known this truth the whole time.
Yes, the Otways forest could supply fresh water
to all the southwest through the magic of acquifers.
Yes, after 1939 Judge Stretton ordered the sawmills
with their smouldering heaps of sawdust
out of the Otways forest and into our townships.
We’re struggling, trying to serve millions of tourists
with only a day or so to cover the Great Ocean Road
seeking glow worms and the “Twelve Apostles”.
Why don’t academics get it?
How dare they maintain an evil, consistent silence
on the matter of protecting the Otways rainforest.
“Vicforests” runs on losses, supported by our tax.
Plantations and poisons for jobs is crap, real crap.
Premier Andrews did say no logging after 2030.
But 2030 may be too late in this extreme heat.
We’ve screamed Save the Otways for over 30 years.
But we get more towering heaps of lumber and lies.
The media slaps us down like silly greenies.
Linfox may be thriving, but the price has escalated.
Yes, you can sip coffee in our shops, and on our land.
But now the ugly truth isn’t so much fire, it’s climate.