Rise and Rise of Crony Capitalism….

and the Destruction of the Tasmanian Community!

You can’t live in Tasmania without this book and the story it tells having a deep impact. If you are in anyway connected with the forest industry in Tasmania the impact is magnified tenfold. The book was recently released and is a timely reminder that Tasmania has significant political, commercial and social issues that remain unresolved.

The decade 2003-2013 saw Tasmania in a state of virtual civil war with Gunns Ltd at its epicentre.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunns

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Bay_Pulp_Mill

The book has little to do with growing commercial blackwood apart from the fact that it details the corrupt hostile commercial, political and social context in which my dream of a blackwood growers cooperative is trying to become a reality.

Am I wasting my time? As a forester this book makes for sad, depressing reading.

If we can’t turn Australia’s number one premium appearance grade timber species into a commercial opportunity then it is due to a profound failure of policy, business and politics.

And as the author so clearly articulates in the Afterword of the book Tasmania continues to head in the wrong direction. Power and corruption continue to dominate the island State.

A fabulous read. Highly recommended!

Buy the book directly from the publishers:

https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/rise-and-fall-gunns-ltd/

The book is also available on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Rise-Fall-Gunns-Ltd/dp/1742234194/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1423691070&sr=8-1

and hopefully at Book Depository:

http://www.bookdepository.com/Rise-Fall-Gunns-Ltd-Quentin-Beresford/9781742234199