The FOI request put in two years ago has finally come through - woodchip logs go for as low as 10c a tonne royalty! This an increase of 1c since 1997 - oh and there's a GST component now of 1c as well - so in fact, 11c a tonne.

Then consider that about 1.6 M tonne comes out of Vic forests each year - making a huge profit of $170,000 or even if they go for an expensive $1 a tonne it's still only $1.7 million. And what are they promising to give the industry now? $80M!!!

Great incentive to keep ripping it out.

(Royalty – portion of proceeds paid to the owner of a right, as a patent for the use of it. Payment made for the right to use a resource, granted by a sovereign to a person or company.