ILLEGAL LOGGING ON NSW SOUTH COAST

The conservation group South East Forest Rescue have uncovered more illegal logging on the State’s South Coast. The logging operations have halted. There is a structure with a person in it in a tree 25 to 30 metres off the ground, attached by high tensile steel cable to four logging machines. SEFR 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 and to improve the NSW Government’s bottom line.

“How long will taxpayers put up with this parasite that is the Forestry Commission’s native forest sector. 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.”

“The amount of breaches uncovered show that Forestry Corporation are not adhering to their laws,” said Ms Stone. “The time has come to tear up the 20 year contracts signed by Eddie Obeid and Ian MacDonald and end native forest logging on public land altogether. With the Forestry Corporation running at a massive loss every year the reek of corruption spreads to more than just the mining industry.”

The science is in. 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. The Government could take every car in Sydney off the road.

Benandarah State Forest contains records of nationally listed endangered species such as Glossy Black and Gang Gang Cockatoos, as well as state-listed species, such as Yellow-bellied Gliders, Powerful andSooty Owls. SEFRs nocturnal fauna survey revealed Sugar Gliders as well as micro bats.

“There is now serious adverse impacts to the water catchmentand the many threatened species of the area.”

“Naked hillsides are not any form of environmental protection,”said Ms Stone. “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 and State Ministers for the Environment to take action and rein in these state-sanctioned carbon criminals.”

“We are also calling on the NSW Minister for Environment, Rob Stokes to put into place proper procedure 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.”

These vast financial losses cannot be justified, nor can the huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The damage to state forests is systematic and routine and the law is disregarded. The unreasonable protection of the native forest woodchipping groups must come to an end.

The best and most efficient action that can be undertaken is ending native forest logging, and would be one of the quickest and cheapest ways to implement a direct action planto reduce greenhouse emissions.
Lisa Stone, South East Forest Rescue