The following items will update you on progress since your CD was
created or the main web site was uploaded.
4th March 03
|
Members of the Lucaston Community yesterday commenced blockading the bridge
into the eastern sector.
Gunns said that they intended to start work on 3/3/03.
Media show keen interest.
|
1st March 03
|
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many hectares do I get for $50,000 (or various other
amounts)
A: There is no simple answer to this question. The full answer goes something
like this:
There are 19 original blocks in the LBB project area totaling about 300ha.
(16 are currently threatened by logging, 3 in the immediate future). Our
estimates based on incomplete asking amounts by current landowners indicate
that total purchase price would be in the order of $750,000. Payments to Gunns,
government fees, development costs such as surveys, roading, creek crossings
etc take the projected price to about $1,068,000. Therefore the average per
hectare price would be $3560 per hectare or $1618 per acre. Therefore $50,000
might but 14 hectares.
However if we cannot purchase the entire area, we cannot offset the expensive
areas against the cheaper ones. Nor can we necessarily offer better blocks
at higher prices and less attractive ones at lower prices. The cost per hectare
of the finished blocks will vary according to how many and which specific
participants we get and what their final negotiated price is.
Q: I would be most interested in an outright purchase - less
interested in the complications of a loan based contribution.
A: To attract finance for the initial purchase, we need indications that
the final blocks will be saleable, so such expressions of interest are very
helpful. We will keep a list of interested buyers and contact them again
when properties become available.
Q: Are there blocks of land for sale now, or are you not yet
at that stage?
A: Some blocks could be available now direct from the current owners.
However the intention of the project is to purchase the entire set and develop
it in an environmentally guaranteed way.
If you want to buy a property now, we would be pleased to assist with
the process but you will not be guaranteed environmentaly-protected surroundings.
Q: I tried clicking on the email form on the website but it
didn't work.
A: Sorry - Testing by our web host resulted in several successful form
submissions. However for some reason, not one submission from the public
has been successful. The form has been replaced by a simple MS Word document
that you can download and send back to us either by post or email.
Q: You said that most owners in the western sector have agreed
in principal to participate but most owners in the western sector have initially
declined. I guess that you mean that most owners in the eastern sector have
initially declined.
A: Only one owner has declined outright. All others have either agreed
outright or have agreed with conditions. Most apply the condition that all
owners agree to participate. Just one landowner is refusing to participate.
Even Gunns Ltd. have agreed to go away if we pay them what they have spent
on development so far.
The future of the whole project rests with one recalcitrant old man who
is refusing to even meet us. Perhaps we need a skilled negotiator to progress
the project past this hurdle. Do you know anyone who may be able to help?
Q: Can you let me know how the project is going?
A: Sorry if I have been a bit slow with updates. LBB really requires a
full time position but I have many other responsibilities to juggle. I'll
try to keep you up to date with occasional newsletters such as this.
Q: I would like to have a chat with someone about it with
the purpose of furthering yours.
A: Feel free to phone me if the updates do not answer your specific questions
fully enough. (03) 6266 4185 evenings only.
Q: Gunns may already have paid owners in part.
A: Yes, landowners have already been paid deposits roughly equal to the
expected woodchip value of the first cut. Gunns says they will abandon the
project if we cover this plus their other expenses. Fortunately the chip
value is low so the amounts are affordable in the overall scheme of the project.
|
Feb 03
|
Lucaston Bush Blocks Supporters Update Feb 03
Thanks to everyone who has made inquires or offered support to the Lucaston
Bush Blocks Project. Sorry that I’ve not answered every one of your questions
as quickly as I would have liked but there has been a lot happening and I
am now trying to cover LBB alone.
The most significant setback has been Gunns withdrawal of their offer
to sell us the timber rights. We raised the money to buy a portion of the
timber rights and placed it in a solicitor’s trust fund. We then asked the
solicitor to deal with Gunns and arrange for us to see the contracts that
we were buying. Gunns then denied ever making the offer, despite meeting
records that clearly quoting John Gay himself (managing Director) as offering
to sell those rights.
Concerned Residents of Lucaston and Crabtree have now restarted the activist
campaign with the view to direct action. Gunns is refusing to negotiate with
CRLC. I am staying somewhat separate from that campaign in an attempt to
keep the LBB project viable and hope that Gunns and landowners will continue
to negotiate with Lucaston Bush Blocks. Please refer to the letter to Gunns
and Landowners, which is attached at the end of this update.
LBB is receiving a steady stream of enquiries from people wanting information
about LBB. Most express some interest in purchasing blocks in the development,
so I am confident that if LBB can purchase the land, we will be able to on-sell
it and create a wonderful residential conservation area. However we have
not yet received enough offers of financial input to purchase the land in
the first place. Everyone seems keen to buy into the finished development
but very little has been pledged to the purchase end of the project. ($35,000
was raised in one week for the trust fund mentioned above).
Gunns have most recently said that they will be starting roadworks on
March 3rd 2003, in order to have the first 130 acres in the eastern sector
logged by May 2004
Many questions have been asked. I can answer some but others are not yet
clear. Rather than writing to you each individually and answer only the questions
that you asked, I will address the whole range of questions here so everyone
will have a good al round understanding of interest in the project. When
several people have asked similar questions, I will give a generalised question
and answer. I hope that this meets your needs. I’d be pleased to discuss
your specifics in more detail if you would like to phone me on (03) 6266
4185. If there is no answer, message bank will take your call after 1.5 minutes,
so please be patient.
|
Dec 02
|
Lucaston Bush Blocks Update December
2002
(This update was sent to Gunns and all
landowners)
The deadline that Gunns Ltd. set for commencement of logging passed on
1st December, so the success of the LBB project is looking slim. However
as long as there is a product that can be seen by our supporters and end
buyers as attractive, the project can still proceed, at least in part.
Because our concept is an entire valley free of logging, commencement
of logging, anywhere in the Lucaston valley will immediately affect the
viability of our product. The more area that is logged, the less marketable
our product will be until the entire project is un-viable. However, until
that time, Lucaston Bush Blocks will not abandon hope and will continue to
try to achieve its goals. Lucaston Bush Blocks is still open for business
and still open for negotiations.
The process has been difficult and we must acknowledge that LBB's activities
have not been as slick as would be expected from a professional land development
company. We do not have the full time secretarial services, experienced advisors
or extensive startup finances that Gunns has. This is because we are just
ordinary people who have a vision and heartfelt desire to do what we can
to avert the removal of the native forest from our valley surrounds. We have
work commitments, personal commitments and family commitments.
We have tried hard to get everything right but sadly have had a few problems
along the way including letters being sent to old addresses. We have also
been unable to make all the guarantees that several people have been asking
for. To make such promises would have been misrepresent our position, and
we would not do that.
Another serious problem has been a recent incident over what Gunns were
asking LBB to pay them $30,000 for. Gunns says that they never intended
to sell the timber rights, but notes taken at a meeting with John Gay in
Launceston (copy supplied to Gunns at the close of that meeting), clearly
show that he did propose to sell the timber rights to us. That $30,000 sale
was a Gunns’ proposal, not an LBB proposal. It seemed a good idea. I guess
this is why Mr. Gay suggested it. It would allow the existing landowner
to keep his land but the trees would be protected. The LBB project could
then take place on surrounding properties. LBB acted to try to progress
that timber rights purchase and currently has the $30,000 sitting in our
solicitors trust fund ready to pay to Gunns. Unfortunately Gunns has now
said that that was never their intention. This has wasted 4 weeks of work
and fundraising and upset several people who feel LBB has misrepresented
Gunns. I repeat that the meeting notes clearly quote Gunns as making this
timber rights suggestion and asking LBB to raise the money by December 1st.
There was also an issue when we explored the 2 sector fallback option.
Some landowners believed we were abandoning the eastern sector in favour
of the western sector only. Perhaps we did not explain our sector proposal
well enough in that we were just trying to open the option as a fall back
but that we still hoped to achieve the full project.
Full time experienced staff might have avoided all these issues, but unfortunately,
LBB is a part time inexperienced enterprise. We can only apologise for not
being as slick as a professional company might be and ask for your understanding
in this.
We have worked as hard as we can to create a fair and equitable answer
to the conflicting visions for the land in question. We have created the
project vision and put it to those in control in the hope that they would
agree to participate.
We nearly achieved full agreement. All agreed positions came with conditions,
but most of those conditions were manageable. Despite assurances that any
concerns can be addressed and the project can work within any constraint
except clearfelling, just one person has stopped the project. Even (Gunns)
offer to sell just the timber rights, leaving the land in the hands of the
existing owners has failed. Those offers still stand, and we would be pleased
to pursue it if the concerned parties would be willing to reopen negotiations.
We can still not offer promises because the quality of our product is
out of our control. Even small logged areas will substantially affect our
marketability and therefore the amount that we can pay to current landowners.
Whilst the LBB project is looking less likely by the day, we will still
have a product, albeit a less valuable one, until both the eastern and western
sector have logging activity. Until that time, we will continue fund raising
and promoting the project to potential supporters.
In order to attract supporters and final buyers, we will soon be starting
a publicity campaign. Whilst we cannot currently say that all the properties
are available for agreed inclusion, we will be saying that our vision remains
to purchase and protect all of the area, or as much as is remaining at any
time. There has been in force until December 1st, an agreement with Gunns
that we would not go to the media. That date has passed and the moratorium
is now over, thus allowing us to use media attention to attract supporters.
Gunns side of the moratorium was that they would not be commencing logging
until December 1st. As it is now December, we can expect logging to start
soon. It is likely that there will be community backlash against logging
activities. I have been asked to join meetings planning community actions.
However because LBB is not dead yet, I have declined to be involved in those
activities. To do so could seriously affect my credibility with landowners
and Gunns so I will continue to act for the LBB project and remain separated
from other community actions.
LBB still has a product and is still open for business. The project success
rests with the decision of one person. We can still consider any options
other than clearfelling. We are still open for negotiations.
Thanks
Paul Dimmick
20/12/02
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please note that the LBB project is still in development. There are
still inconsistencies throughout the plan and the documentation. The project
is being run by ordinary Lucaston residents. We are short of many skills
and would be glad of your help to rectify this.
|
|
