In line with Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s call for direct action on climate change, logging activities have been halted in Boyne State Forest north of Batemans Bay on NSWs south coast today. The conservation group South East Forest Rescue are calling for an end to native forest logging on public land as an efficient way to help Australia meet its climate change mitigation targets. There are two structures with a person in each structure in trees 25 to 30 metres off the ground attached by high tensile steel cable to four logging machines.
“The Forestry Corporation are in breach of international and domestic obligations by not taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by incurring $14-16 million dollar losses every year, and by continuing archaic practices of clear-felling or patch clear-felling, which destroys public forests that contain cultural heritage and species we have yet to discover,” said Ms Lisa Stone, spokesperson for SEFR. “The Forestry Corporation’s activities are directly flying in the face of principles of climate change mitigation.”
Logging not only destroys carbon sinks, but increases Australia’s CO2 emissions every year through both logging and burning. On the south coast alone this is over 26 million tonnes CO2 every year.
Boyne State Forest is part of the National Estate Register, contains records of nationally listed endangered species such as Glossy Black Cockatoos, Swift Parrots and Spotted Tail Quolls, as well as state-listed species, such as Yellow-bellied Gliders, Masked and Powerful Owls. SEFRs nocturnal fauna survey revealed Sugar Gliders as well as grey headed flying foxes and micro bats.
“Clear felled hillsides are not any form of environmental protection,” said Ms Stone. “There is now serious adverse impacts to the water catchment and the many threatened species of the area.”
The earth is now in a state of emergency. If this business as usual continues for even another few years catastrophic climate change will be locked in, therefore native forest destruction must stop immediately.
“The public no longer trust the Forestry Corporation to guarantee that there will be no impact on the environment, and carbon storage capacity,” said Ms Stone. “We are calling on the Federal Minister for the Environment to take action and rein in these state-sanctioned carbon criminals.”
“We are also calling on the NSW Minister for Environment, Robyn Parker to put into place proper procedure for enacting the Commonwealth’s plan to exit native forest logging,” she said. “Verbal and written warnings have not changed behaviour, and are not adequate, given the degree of environmental damage being inflicted.”
“The amount of breaches uncovered this month show that Forestry Corporation are not adhering to their laws,” said Ms Stone. “The time has come to tear up the contracts signed by Eddie Obeid and Ian MacDonald and end native forest logging on public land altogether.”
The best direct action that can be done is ending native forest logging, and would be one of the quickest and cheapest ways to implement a direct action plan to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Tony Lisa, South East Forest Rescue
