The South Sister, 831m above sea level is a few km north of St Marys, Tasmania. This mountain is a local icon which was first named in 1773 by the English Explorer Tobias Furneaux and later painted by the French Navigator Nicolas Baudin in 1802.

It is also a local recreation and tourist destination, being a favourite place for bushwalking, rock climbing, horse riding and bird watching.

Magnificent 360 degrees are seen from the summit with views as far as Flinders Island on a clear day, Freycinet Peninsula in the south and Ben Lomond and beyond to the west.

Forestry Tasmania plan to selectively log 120 hectares of marvellous bush on this mountain beginning mid February 2005. The local residents are in need of your help to try and preserve this rich and biodiverse area.

The mountain has numerous springs which provide water to many residents nestled under the moutain in German Town, Dublin Town and Gardiners Creek Road.

The water is used for both domestic (including hydro-electricity generation) and agriculatural/horticultural use. St Marys’ water supply is also reliant on this area with a fault line running between the coupe and the bore that provides St Marys’ water supply.

The Forest Practices Code makes no provision for groundwater and have incorrectly identified St Marys’ water source as the Newman’s Creek.

Numerous threatened species are found on the coupe or within the surrounding area. The Blind Velvet Worm with a habitat of only 159 sq km in the world has been found on this coupe!

Its habitat of rotting logs and moist environment will be destroyed from logging and the subsequent burning of the coupe. The Giant Velvet Worm, is found adjacent to the coupe with the line of parapatry (geographical line separating the two species) running through the coupe. This line of parapatry is extremely rare and of significant conservation value which should be protected.

Wedge tail eagles are seen almost daily

Wedge tail eagles are seen almost daily flying around this area, Swift parrots have been recently confirmed on the coupe and Grey Goshawks are often seen flying in the general vicinity. The under-storey is perfect habitat for the rare spotted tailed quoll and other mammals and birds living on the coupe and in the area.

The rare Euphrasia collina ssp deflexifolia is found all over the coupe and numerous other threatened floral species are found in the general area. Six moths not previously recorded in a Tasmanian National Park have been recorded on the coupe in 2004 and 178 lichen species were identified on the adjacent South Sister Summit in only one day recently! The area is a “hot spot” according to many scientists who have visited the area. They are shocked at the prospect of logging this area which they consider to be highly significant and different to other areas in Tasmania.

The area is a well known landslip area and any logging to the area is likely to lead to more landslips. No thorough assessment has been forthcoming by Forestry in this regard. Logging will threaten the numerous water sources (reduced quality and quantity) perhaps leaving some residents with major problems. Habitat for birds, mammals and invertebrates will be destroyed with the logging and subsequent burning of the remainder.

We need your help. Please send a donation to the Save our Sisters group in St Marys to assist us in the fight to save this unique area. All of those visiting the area – scientists, other experts and the general public are surprised to see such a diverse under-storey, such a range of flora and consider it to be vastly different to other parts of Tasmania.

Join us on February 6th, 2005 for a picnic on the South Sister – see the website for more details.
www.southsister.org

sister.doc

Dr Frances Daily
SOS

Earlier:
Save Our Sisters