WAFA : Simcoa, Near Bunbury

The Japanese-owned company Simcoa has an annual allocation of 150,000 tonnes of "3rd grade" jarrah logs for making into charcoal which is used in the process of making silicon. The Labor government intends to continue supplying Simcoa with jarrah. At present the government lets Simcoa have the jarrah at around $6.08/tonne. Substitutes that Simcoa could use, like plantation timber and New Zealand coal, can not compete with this price and as a result jarrah is still being plundered from our forests at alarming rates.

Simcoa also consumes 8% of W.A.'s electricity, at very reduced rates!

The massive stockpile of jarrah has to be seen from the air to appreciate the size.

The jarrah logs, which most "value adding" saw millers would love to get hold of, are turned into woodchips. Then the whole lot is turned into charcoal to make silicon. Conservationists want Simcoa to change from jarrah to bluegum or one of many other alternatives.

This ugly sight is the sad remains of our beautiful jarrah forests


Forest rescuers protest at what they see as the exploitation of their ancient native forests


Truck loads of ancient forest tree mill ends, to be turned into charcoal