Latest news with #lutruwita
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Inside the fight to save ancient Australian forests from Asia's paper mills
The Styx Valley is a stronghold of Tasmania's ancient forests and a hotspot for protests against logging. Source: Getty / Chris Putnam/Future Publishing Tasmania, known to its First Peoples as lutruwita, has long been a flash point in Australia's environmental struggles — from logging and mining to water protection. Now, a new generation of palawa Aboriginal leaders is stepping up, continuing an ancient legacy of defending Country in the face of environmental destruction. In Tasmania, logging is a billion-dollar industry that supports over thousands of jobs and exports millions of tonnes of timber, woodchips and pulp overseas, primarily to feed paper mills in China and Japan. But as vital carbon sinks and biodiversity havens shrink, Traditional Owners argue that the long-term environmental and cultural costs are far greater than the economic gains. Blanden told NITV's The Point that she was raised with an understanding of both Aboriginal lore and "settler" systems and is training to be a lawyer to challenge colonial structures from within. "Education is power for our mob," Blanden said. "Our old people were on the front line defending Country and that legacy continues today. They were protesting for their inherent rights to be Aboriginal people and to be on Country and yet they were being persecuted for it. "Becoming a lawyer was my part in that, breaking down those systems and really bringing us home to that key message . " It's a message that echoes across places like the Styx Valley, a stronghold of Tasmania's ancient forests and a hotspot for protests against logging. Every day vital carbon sinks and biodiversity havens shrink as forests are reduced to woodchips that are shipped offshore to become paper and fill the trays of the world's photocopiers. It's an industry that supports over 5,500 jobs and contributes $1.2 billion to the economy, but Traditional Owners argue that the long-term environmental and cultural costs are far greater. Ruth Langford, a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung woman born in lutruwita, is one of the cultural caretakers fighting back. "It's not actually a forest, it's a plantation. It's a single species tree," she said, gesturing to rows of identical trees. "This is very sick country. "The concern that we have is these types of plantings create potentially catastrophic bushfires, as well as it's sucking all the water up." The state government's Sustainable Timber Tasmania, formerly Forestry Tasmania, manages approximately 812,000 hectares of public production forest and promises a sustainable approach that is socially, economically and environmentally responsible. Some 1.2 million hectares of the state's forest is classified as old growth, of which eight per cent faces potential logging within the 'Permanent Timber Production Zone'. Every three years, the government releases a forestry plan that designates large areas for logging that include a patchwork of plantations and old-growth forests and there are fears that more protected areas could be opened up to potential logging. Langford says contractors often have little say in the areas they are harvesting, and many taxpayers are asking why they are continuing to foot the bill for an unsustainable approach. "It doesn't make economic sense," she said. "The government is subsidising all the roads, all the departments, and loses all of our carbon, loses all of the biodiversity, all of the water catchment and loses the very potential of what this could be both for timber production and also for future generations." Palawa woman Carleeta is part of a protest camp in Styx Valley and believes balance is possible and immediate change essential. "We're not saying completely stop the whole logging industry," she said. "We need to go more towards different plantations and alternatives to logging these beautiful old-growth forests that have seen, not only our old fellows, but will see our future generations be able to come and sit under these same trees that their ancestors sat under." At the heart of the movement is a deep reverence for inter-generational responsibility. For Blanden, elders like Uncle Jim Everett (Puralia Meenamatta), who still physically defends forested areas, represent that legacy. "He always says it's not about land rights — it's about the land's right. The right to be cared for. That's what we carry on our shoulders," she said. As climate change accelerates and biodiversity collapses, Blanden sees Aboriginal leadership as vital. "They need us. Country needs us and it is our time to answer that call and come and protect Country." Share this with family and friends
SBS Australia
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
The winner of Alone Australia Season 3 has been revealed
Cast of Alone Australia season 3. Credit: Narelle Portanier The following article contains spoilers for the third season of Alone Australia season 3. If you haven't seen the exciting finale, it isn't too late to watch now. 30-year-old professional trapper, Shay has become the winner of Alone Australia Season 3 after surviving a record-setting 76 days in the unpredictable and unforgiving wilds of the West Coast Ranges of Tasmania (lutruwita). The shy and soft-spoken North Island New Zealander battled the merciless forces of nature, hunger, and loneliness while stripped of modern possessions, contact and comforts, and outlasted nine other trailblazing participants to win the life-changing prize of $250,000. While Shay has trapped possums since he was 16, the Tasmanian wildlife at first proved elusive, forcing him to survive on more creative sources of food: over 1100 worms, 23 trout, 13 eels, 2 whitebait and freshwater shrimp, grubs, and 'cheese fries' (moth pupae). Nothing was off the menu for Shay and his resilience paid off in a final, game-changing twist – his capture of a pademelon. For Shay, Alone Australia was more than an adventure or an opportunity to find himself: it was a chance to secure a debt-free future for his young family. Coming into the competition, he vowed he'd do whatever it took – even lasting 300 days – to win. No matter the storms, floods, or homesickness, he was willing to sacrifice everything to make it to the end. For him and his family, the prize is a dream come true. Shay said: 'Living in the bush and off the land has been my life's passion since I was a kid. I built my life around the bush back home and became intimately connected to the land I come from, learning how our ancestors gathered food and lived in nature. I got the opportunity out there to put all that to the test, in a completely foreign environment. Mother Nature's Colosseum. I tasted hard times and joyful times as I clawed out the other side and figured out where I could fit in, sustainably live, even forever out there, if need be. I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to help my family in this way, doing what I love for the people I love.' Alone Australia embodies SBS's trailblazing ethos of embracing challenges, pushing boundaries and inspiring with bold storytelling that entertains. Alone Australia remains SBS' most successful franchise, with over 3.5 million viewers1 enjoying this season so far, with 41%2 streaming on SBS on Demand. In the double episode finale, after 47 days, three participants remained – Food Safety Consultant, Corinne, Bushman Muzza and Shay. They all pushed themselves to their personal limits, forced to adapt to the wild will of nature, in the hope of being the last one standing. Corinne tapped out on her own terms after 70 days. With nothing left to prove to herself, she felt the call to return to her life and pursue her dream of starting a family. With a beautiful musical performance on a wooden guitar she crafted, Corinne wore her heart on her sleeve. She sang, 'My next chapter in life is waiting for me back home.' Muzza had a highly successful run of catches throughout the season but began to experience dizzy spells and after a med-check, dangerously low blood pressure made medically evacuating Muzza the only safe choice. In a heart-wrenching moment, Muzza was brought to tears. 'I promised myself I'd trust the doctor's judgement.' He left with no regrets, and his trademark humour: '73 days… Can't believe I never got sick of eels.' In a shocking twist, Shay caught a pademelon and found himself feasting on red meat (and pademelon genitals!) late in the competition. Yet his pot soon ran dry and worries about losing a quarter of his body weight had the medical crew warn him that he required more frequent med-checks. On day 76, Shay was visited by the medical team, where he expected a health update. Instead, he was surprised by the secret arrival of his wife, who cried, 'You did it! So proud of you.' In a heartwarming embrace, Shay was left beaming and in disbelief. 'I can't believe it! From day one, I've been saying, I want to come home with that money, no matter how long that takes, no matter how difficult it might get. $250K is life-changing for our family. Now I get to go home to my little slice of paradise.' Off the back of the season finale, SBS premiered a special one-hour reunion program Alone Australia Season 3: The Reunion . Hosted by SBS's Kumi Taguchi (Insight), a self-confessed fan, the entire cast reunited for the first time since they were dropped into the remote wilds of the West Coast Ranges of Tasmania/lutruwita, in what was an emotional, hilarious, and truly insightful conversation with unexpected revelations and never-before-seen footage. All episodes of Alone Australia Season 3 and Alone Australia Season 3: The Reunion are now streaming on SBS On Demand. Share this with family and friends SBS's award winning companion podcast. Join host Yumi Stynes for Seen, a new SBS podcast about cultural creatives who have risen to excellence despite a role-model vacuum.
