Editor:
Looking at some of the messaging and numbers in the published in Sunshine Coast Community Forest’s 2021 Annual Report I have several concerns on how they’re being framed.
For example, it reads “This year saw record log pricing and 18 500 m³ of logs all generated $2.9 million for the benefit of our community.” On the financial summary, it shows revenues, cost of sales, expenses, resulting in a net income of $898 600. To say that $2.9 million was a direct “benefit to the community” is misleading, because $1.3 million was spent on “operational spending” monies paid out to private contractors to extract the timber. With another $369,000 spent on “expenses” the “sunk costs” are well over 50 per cent.
The Legacy Fund grants distributed to five community groups in 2021 was only $100,000. “Over $3 million has been contributed to the Legacy Fund since it was created in 2014.” That works out over the eight years to $375,000 per year.
There’s no line item for “opportunity costs,” which means the “forgone benefit” that would have been derived from an option not chosen. To properly evaluate opportunity costs, the costs and benefits of every option available must be considered and weighed against the others. This is a typical accounting gap by resource extraction industries, but important to include because their activities leave a lasting impact on the landscape. When SCCF decides to log, they do not weigh the existing values of Aboriginal uses, carbon sequestering and storage, wildlife habitat, water conservation, existing recreation, tourism potential, beauty – all things harder to define by industry, however, even more important now to factor due to damaged environments and the climate chaos.
Ross Muirhead, Elphinstone Logging Focus
