I don’t know if, Otway Forest Industries Information Group director David Colless, is deliberately trying to mislead the public, (Geelong Advertiser 30/4) or is ignorant of the environment within the Otway Forest. Firstly as up to 70% of all logging within the Otway Forest finishes up as woodchip, it’s obvious that if woodchipping ceased in the area, logging would also have to cease, as it would become even more uneconomical. This of course would be the optimum situation for the area, as then, there wouldn’t be any excessive waste and the forest would flourish naturally.

As for Mr Colless’s comment that timber waste on the forest floor becomes infested with bugs and also inhibits forest floor regrowth, I would like to advise him that these "bugs" are an essential part of the food chain for many of our native birds, animals and reptiles. As for the "rotting mess" (as Mr Colless calls it), this returns nutrients to the soil and is natural in the regrowth of Australian flowers and trees.