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The Ludlow Tuart Forest
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| The Issue |
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400
people attended the rally for
the tuarts on 31 August 2003
and sent a strong message to
government:
no mining in the world's only tuart forest
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Tuarts are endemic to Western Australia
and specifically the Swan Coastal Plain,
occurring from Jurien Bay to Busselton.
The extent of tuarts falls into six
distinct tuart ecosystems, of which
four are considered rare due to their
limited range and size. One of these
rare tuart ecosystems is the Ludlow
Tall Tuart Forest: what makes this
ecosystem particularly special is that
tuart trees grow taller then anywhere
else in the state. The Ludlow Tuart Forest is the only
remaining Tall Tuart Forest in the
world and is therefore one of the rarest
ecosystems left on earth. 1955 hectares
are left in the South West of Western
Australia and Cable Sands have put
forward a proposal to mine 147 hectares
right in the middle of it: the reason-titanium.
It is not surprising that the proposal
has attracted opposition from a variety
of groups and community members.
The area is habitat for a number of
rare and endangered and vulnerable
species including the endangered Carnaby’s
Black Cockatoo, the Chuditch, Brush-tailed
Phascogale, Western Ring-tailed Possum,
Brush Wallaby and contains 1739 Tuart
trees and their associated eco-systems.
The EPA (Environmental Protection
Authority) has admitted that any attempt
to rehabilitate the area may not result
in the return of it’s present values
such as tall Tuart trees growing to
a great 500 year old age.
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One
of the many mature tuarts within
the area proposed to be mined.
Photo by Cassidy Newland
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One
of the Ludlow Tuart Forests
endangered residents facing
eviction. Photo by Adrian Wedd.
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In their submissions to the EPA the
Conservation Commission of WA, CALM,
WA Institute of Foresters, Shire of
Busselton, Cape Naturaliste Tourism
Association, and the Conservation Council
of WA have all opposed mining in the
Ludlow Tall Tuart Forest. However there
is still a lot more that needs to be
done to make sure this unique area
is not lost forever.
Cable Sands claims they can restore
this ecosystem (post mining) to “a
condition better than currently exists.” However
at present there is no evidence in
WA that Cable Sands is capable of restoring
an ecosystem. What limited experience
Cable Sands does have, has demonstrated
that it is difficult to regrow tuarts
on mined soils that are similar to
those of the Ludlow Tall Tuart Forest.
Further, the oldest tuart trees that
Cable Sands have attempted to revegetate
are only 15 years old and far from
representing a Tall Tuart Forest. In 1903 there were only 40500 ha of
tuart forest ecosystems remaining in
the South West of WA. The area was
singled out for urgent conservation
by the Royal Commission, after significant
depletion of naturally occurring forest
was cited (down some 89500 ha: from
130 000 ha in 1882 recorded in the
first official survey of WA forests,
to 40500 ha to 1903: a span of just
21 years) as a result of Tuarts’ attractive
timber properties as a hardwood. Recommendations made to the WA Government
in 1904 stated that: “All countries
seem now to realise the importance
of stopping the reckless waste of the
past and making provision for the future….
The longer it is delayed, the more
difficult the task.” Today, some 99 years after these findings
were handed down, it appears that we
are still no wiser.
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| Courtesy of Vanessa Williams |
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| What
you can do |
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| Before despairing, YES! WE CAN DO
SOMETHING proactive to arrest this ecologically
devastating threat!
1. Contact the Minister for the Environment
on (08) 9220 5050
Dr Judy Edwards
29th Floor 77 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
And
2. Contact the Premier on (08) 9222 9888,
wa-government@dpc.wa.gov.au AND ASK THEM
TO REJECT MINING IN THIS UNIQUE, SENSITIVE
ENVIRONMENT
3. Click
here to sign the online petition to
"Save The Last Tall Tuart Forest
In The World"
As Botanist James Drummond noted in 1843,
after passing through Tuart forest north
of Busselton; “Few of the natural productions
of a country can be of more importance than
the indigenous forest trees.” With the threat
of further tuart decline, since, (and as
suggested in) 1904, it is important that
we protect what remains from further clearing
and environmental stresses.
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| Indigenous
History |
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The tall tuart forest of Ludlow is part of
the tribal lands of the Wardandi people, and
is an area of special significance to their
culture. As a relatively open forest with a
scattered understorey, the area was easy to
move through and the ideal location for large
camps and tribal gatherings. The French witnessed
this in 1801 when they visited the area and
noted the Ludlow forest as a massive tribal
council ground, where the governing of their
people took place. Bill Webb has described
the scene one would have seen at such large
gatherings as numerous camps spread throughout
the forest with the campfire light reflecting
off the white bark of the tuarts, in a way
that lit up the area and allowed one to walk
from camp to camp with ease. Before European
settlement the tuart forest would have been
dominated by many more large tuarts as pictured
above, and it is not difficult to imagine the
significance of the area and the atmosphere
it provided. It is thus not surprising that
this area was used by the Wardandi people as
a gathering point for tribal meetings with
other people of the Bibilimum Nation such as
the Koreng, Wilmen, Minang, Balla Ding and
Piblemen. When such meetings took place the
different tribes camped around a common elders
circle with each tribe located around this
circle like points of a compass, pointing the
direction of their tribal lands.
 After European settlement things began to
change, with settlers seeing the value of the
forest for the wood it provided and as land
to be used for agriculture and in 1829 the
clash of cultures led to the beginning of individual
killings. In 1841 George Layman was speared
by Gaywer at Wonnerup House when he refused
to release Bill Webs Grandmother. This was
to be the spark for the Wonnerup Massacre where
white settlers rode abreast through the tuart
forest killing over 250 people on their tribal
land. Tribal elder Bill Web has said that the
events of the past where bad enough and to
allow mining would be to desecrate the spirits
of his ancestors for a second time, which must
not be allowed! The Ludlow tuart forest is
the resting ground for many of those killed
in this massacre and their spirits should be
allowed eternal peace.
William Hayward a young member of the Wardandi
People, has also recounted the events of the
past and with great passion the value of this
area to his people. To hear William speak is
to know that the Ludlow Tall Tuart Forest is
still close to the heart of the Wardandi people
and to understand that it would be criminal
to allow mining in this unique ecosystem.
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The tuarts of
ludlow grow taller then tuarts forund
anywhere else in the world. Photo of
a tall tuart in the proposed mining area.
Photo supplied by the Busselton Donsborough
Environment Centre. |
More
Info
The Value of Tuarts Recognised
by European Settlers
Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) was recorded
in the 1830’s as “a most valuable timber
for millrights, shipwrights and wheelrights
as it is almost impossible to split the wood
although it may be closely morticed. Not
liable to splinter, it would be particularly
suitable for ship-building in time of war.”
E gomphocephala is named so in reference
to the swollen or club-like flower cap
or head that is considerably broader than
the tube of the calyx.
At present a mining lease exists over 215
hectares of the Ludlow Tuart Forest. The
forest act of 1918 dedicated 542 ha of tuart
as State Forest No 1, which was followed
by a further 832ha added the same year. By
1922 the tuart State Forest was 2465ha (6091
acres) in size, which was reduced to 2402
hectares in 1927, for reasons unknown. In the late nineteenth century, Tuarts were
also recorded “in abundance” between Perth
and Fremantle. The Western metropolitan suburb
of Claremont replaced a tuart forest, and
it grew extensively in what is now Kings
Park, and was subsequently dubbed “the White
Gum of Mt Eliza”. Tuarts tolerate salt in soil and produce
profuse nectar- the honey of which was considered “one
of the choicest honeys in the world” in 1927. Tuarts grow readily from seed, however,
there are no plantations in WA. They are,
however, grown today in Cyprus, Algeria,
Tunisia, Libya, Spain, California and New
Zealand. In Morocco, 60 000 ha of tuart assist
in sand stabilisation and provide fuel, flooring,
shade and shelter.
(Irena Cunningham, 1998)
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| Written and edited by Phoebe Coyne,
Sophia Stafford and Cassidy Newland |
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For futher information contact
Friends of the Tuart Forest
PO Box 291
Busselton 6280
Ph/fax: 9754 2049
or
Cassidy
Forest Campaign Coordinator
The Wilderness Society
(08) 9420 7255
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