Brilliant New South Wales Gov Plan - Let's Burn Forests To Generate Electricity!

The O’Farrell government has opened the way for the state’s forests to be used to generate electricity in a move blasted by the Greens as “devastating”.

Anthony Roberts, the Minister for Resources and Energy, said on Friday that modifications to environmental protection regulations would allow trees otherwise destined for pulp and paper production to be burnt in power stations. Invasive native species and offcuts of sawlogs could also be burnt for power. Mr Roberts said the move would be monitored by the Environment Protection Authority “to ensure there is no increase in the intensity of clearing or logging”.

Maree McCaskill, managing director of the NSW Forest Products Association, welcomed the decision saying it would ‘‘allow better use of a by-product that’s currently not being used’’. Some of the waste material was now being left on the forest floor, adding to fuel loads that raised fire risks, she said. ‘‘Finally, we’ll able to link up the full renewable cycle.’’

However, upper house Greens MP John Kaye said the move would expose new native species to logging and perpetuate the ailing woodchip industry that currently consumes about 1 million tonnes of trees a year from the forests in the state’s south-east. Subsidies for the native forest industry already cost $8 million a year, he said.

EDIT

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/devastating-changes-allow-forests-to-be-burned-for-power-20140307-34bd5.html