Biodiversity
On March 21, at the Southern Cross University campus, hear from frontline campaigners and local experts who know the forests best, to hear about the plan to secure protection for Richmond River Koala Parks.
This is a chance to understand what’s at stake – and how protection is possible when our community stands together.
The Wollumbin / Mount Warning shield volcano and its erosion caldera is a unique volcanic landform which has functioned as a refugium, over the 20 million years since it’s formation, for a core area of Gondwana rainforest flora.
The Caldera is located in a major climatic transition zone, between temperate and tropical floral and faunal species, giving high species diversity under a wide range of habitats, its volcanic origins and very high localised rainfall make this a very complex and interesting landform.
20 million years ago the continent, bearing its Gondwanic rainforest flora, was moving north, away from Antarctica. The continent had been passing over one of the earths hotspots, and this had given rise to a chain of volcanic activity down the east coast of the continent, including the volcanic eruption and subsequent laval covering of the landscape which was the formation of the Mount Warning / Wollumbin Shield Volcano. The height and spread of the laval mound of the volcano is estimated at 2km high and a spread which for example extended 30km out onto the continental shelf beyond the current sea level.
ON 7 SEPTEMBER THE NSW GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THEY ARE GOING TO CREATE THE FULL GREAT KOALA NATIONAL PARK, AN HISTORIC CONSERVATION WIN AFTER A 10 YEAR CONCERTED COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN.
NEFA:
“This park will protect 12,000 Koalas and enable their populations to recover as their feed trees regrow. This is the sort of action we need if we want to double their population in NSW.
“This park will also protect the homes of 108 other threatened species from further degradation, most notably for the nationally Endangered Southern Greater Glider, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Hastings River Mouse, and Rufous Scrub Bird.”
Petition from Invasive Species Council for Action on the sale of weeds from nurseries.
Australians know that weeds like lantana are choking our streams and bushland.
An astounding three-quarters of all listed weeds in Australia are escaped garden plants, sold legally to unsuspecting shoppers in nurseries or online.
These weedy plants have already contributed to at least four extinctions.
The current system of self-regulation expects passionate home gardeners to have a botany degree or pay close attention to warnings in fine print to stop their garden plants from spreading into the surrounding landscape.
We need urgent action. And while there’s growing political momentum to act, it’s nowhere near fast enough to match the scale of the problem.
TSC Tweed Link:
1000 trees community tree planting for National Tree Day! Col Wiley Park, Byangum,Sunday 27 July, from 9 am to 12 noon to help improve water quality, protect wildlife and reduce river erosion.
Also, grants of up to $4,000 for Tweed farmers for sustainable land management for projects that improve soil health, water management, biodiversity and more.
Tweed Landcare’s highly successful signature project. Funded consecutively for the last 10 years by the NSW Environmental Trust Restoration and Rehabilitation grant program enabling Tweed Landcare to work with thirty-three landholders in key locations to bush regenerate over 250 hectares of degraded natural areas.
Links to Nature Conservation Council website, recommended.
The Forest Alliance NSW has welcomed the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA’s) decision today to prosecute Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) for 29 charges. The charges related to illegally logging of critical Greater Glider habitat in Tallaganda State Forest on the NSW South Coast.
The EPA alleges these actions contravened conditions of the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (CIFOA), the Forestry Act 2012, and the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Further information available here
The EPA appeared before a Budget Estimates hearing.
Former independent member of NSW Parliament and spokesperson for the Forest Alliance Justin Field said: “the Alliance and the community welcomes the decision to prosecute.”
A highlight of the movie is the slow motion footage of the albatross mating ritual, turning a chaotic cacophonous flurry into an elegant and choreographed mating dance.
Also, the National Parks guide pushes away the grass growing through the nests, revealing the skeletal remains of the chick in the nest, the small pile of plastic in its stomach reveals the cause of death, nest after nest.
The movie ALBATROSS, a film by Chris Jordan.
“… a poetic guided tour into the depths of your own spirit.
… a message of life and love for nature.
… a visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy.
The Midway Atoll is home to the largest albatross colony in the world. More than 1.5 million of these birds make their home there, thousands of kilometers away from any continent. A protected wildlife refuge since 1988, Midway ought to be an incredibly pristine, beautiful, natural sanctuary for these birds. Yet, like all creatures, they have to navigate today’s world.
“If this ocean bird of this species, … then every ocean bird of this species.”
“If this ocean bird species, … then every ocean bird species.” ect.
A one minute duration information unit about the Collapse of the Ocean Ecology because plastic in the environment.
“If this, … ” is an awardee of The Caldera Environment Centre ‘Ecological Arts For Information’ Merit Award.
1. That Council approves the advertising of its intention to dispose of the properties at 39 and 41 West End Street in Murwillumbah (Lots 5 and 6 in DP1303298) by Public Auction in accordance with Council’s Policy for the Disposal of Land v1.3 and invites written submissions on the proposal be made within 28 days from the date of advertisement.
2. That Council recognises the biodiversity of Lot 4 and the neighbouring WWTP, and that any future work takes this into consideration and includes appropriate community access, including a walkway on the road reserve that links Rous River and Murwillumbah township.
Birdlife will pursue work with council for the said walkway, riparian restoration and a wildlife corridor as opportunities arise.
Bob Brown and Mandy Nolan will be at the Murbah Civic Centre on Friday 21st February, 7pm, the event is titled ‘Nature in the Balance, Keynote, conversation and Q&A.
NEFA: “The Forestry Corporation has reduced yields from public native forests in NSW by 28%, though they are only doing so by dramatically reducing the volumes of products they previously claimed to have obtained in each of the past 3 years, according to the North East Forest Alliance.
The Forestry Corporation is legally required to prepare annual Biomaterial Reports that detail areas of native forests logged, and volumes of products obtained, on a compartment basis.
We welcome the Forestry Corporation admitting gross errors in their reporting of timber products by releasing revised Biomaterial Reports for the past 3 years, though we are flabbergasted that they have retrospectively reduced volumes by 28% from what they previously certified they obtained, said NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh.
The Great Dividing Range
is a magnificent series of connected mountain ranges that form the backbone of eastern Australia. Stretching over 3,500 kilometres from the tropical north to the temperate south, this ancient landscape is home to some of the most ecologically significant habitats on Earth. Sadly, this natural wonder is facing severe threats from major alternative energy developments. Already, deforestation, urban expansion, and unsustainable resource extraction are affecting the integrity of this vital ecosystem..
All ridges will be contoured for access roads and pads to install wind turbines.
The proposed renewable energy projects, particularly wind farms, in Queensland, pose a significant threat to the state’s high-quality, intact native vegetation. This presentation highlights the critical conservation values of these areas and the heavy price being paid in terms of the degradation of ecologically important ranges.
Text in progress, apologies.
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A ‘Caldera’ is the geographical remnant of an extinct volcano.
… the soft red volcanic soil washed away over eons, revealing the circular landscape feature of the outer wall of the caldera, formed from a harder magna material inducted below the surface, with the central hardstone ‘plug’ of the volcano remaining as Mount Warning / Wollumbin.
A particular ecosystem existed within the geographical landscape of the Wollumbin Caldera, for eons, different from the surrounding landscape, a biosphere of unique and diverse lifeforms, a wonder to behold, almost completely destroyed for the extraction of ‘timber’ for the hardwood sleepers of the London underground railway system.
Public education plays an important role in what we [Birdlife Northern Rivers] do. We have placed signs at important roosting, feeding and breeding sites from the Tweed River in the north, to the Port Macquarie coast and at inland areas identifying significant Regent Honeyeater habitat. Additional signs, posters and Bird Routes brochures have been developed to raise awareness of migratory and resident shorebirds.
Sustainability is … CONTINUABILITY, the ability of something to sustain, to continue.
The Environment is … the whole of NATURE, the Ecology, the systems of inter-related, inter-dependent lifeforms on this planet.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IS THE ABILITY OF NATURE TO CONTINUE.
Nature organically sustains itself through time, naturally regenerating and continuing to exist.
For hundreds of thousands of years the Nature around us in its current form has naturally regenerated and sustained itself – the wonder of nature and evolution, a beautiful, living, inter-related, inter-dependent system of lifeforms.
The humans are destroying Nature.
Ecological systems around the planet are collapsing.
“The North East Forest Alliance has taken the NSW Forestry Corporation to court in an effort to save the homes of Koalas, and 23 other threatened species, including the Southern Greater Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider, Rufous Bettong, Masked Owl and Squirrel Glider.
NEFA has engaged the Environmental Defenders Office to commence legal proceedings in the NSW Land and Environment Court to challenge the validity of the Forestry Corporation’s harvesting plans for compartments 6-7 of Braemar State Forest and 10-16 of Myrtle State Forest, south of Casino.
NEFA’s request for an interlocutory injunction to stop logging until the case was heard, was considered by the court on Wednesday 2 August. Rather than hearing the injunction, Justice Moore considered that it was best to go for an expedited hearing on the substantive case, identifying that the Court had an opportunity to hear the case soon.
Hosted by the Caldera Environment Centre in conjunction with community environmental groups from around the region. The event gives local environmental organisations an arena to bring attention to their issues and their actions, plus Guest Speakers, plus performance entertainment.
Our event promotes sustainability and the protection of the natural environment, in that we invite and host environmentally themed Guest Speakers, we encourage environmentally themed singer-songwriters, and we host local community environment organisations.
We provide a platform for local Caldera performance artists to be showcased, including for example, a much appreciated local indigenous dance group, singer-songwriters, and circus and acrobat performing artists.
A recent Guardian report about the IPCC Report can be read here: “Down to Earth: The path to radically lower emissions tucked away inside the devastating IPCC report.”.
The Latest Edition of the North East Forest Alliance NEFA LEAF news update. The most informative publication of what’s going on with native forest protection in our area.
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NEFA: “It’s been a huge start to the year with communities rising up to protect what’s left of our precious native forests. Check out our events below and hope to see you on the forest frontlines! An Opportune TimeNow is our chance to bring the logging of public native forests in NSW to an end. The prospects are great, with a minority ALP Government, beholden to independents, many of whom want an end to logging, and The Greens in the Lower House. And in the Upper House the ALP need The Greens to pass legislation, with one of their key demands being to stop logging of public native forests. The economic and environmental cases for ending logging have never been clearer. Most recently the conservative Blueprint Institute demonstrated “conclusively that there is no economic case for continued logging of native forests on the North Coast of New South Wales”. With logging causing populations of many forest dependent species to rapidly decline, spreading weeds, causing widespread dieback, reducing stream flows, and increasing fire risk, there is a need for immediate action. As climate heating gathers momentum, the increasing temperatures, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires are compounding logging impacts, as demonstrated by the 2019/20 wildfires burning half north-east NSW’s forests and decimating populations of numerous species within the firegrounds. We urgently need to help our forests recover from past abuses, allow them to sequester atmospheric carbon out of harms way, regrow big trees for nectar and hollows, and regain their natural resilience. And we can make money at the same time. Now is a time of unprecedented opportunity. Our forests need you to stand up, speak out and take action to make an end to logging of public native forests a reality within this term of government. Blueprint for a greener future.On April 27 the conservative think tank the Blueprint Institute launched an economic report on logging of north-east NSW’s public forests in parliament house, shocking the logging industry with their finding “conclusively that there is no economic case for continued logging of native forests on the North Coast of New South Wales”. Their report ‘Branching Out: Exploring Alternate Land Use Options for the Native Forests of New South Wales’ assesses the economic potential of native forest conservation by modelling the value of carbon sequestration and tourism against continued logging, finding that managing the North Coast region in a manner consistent with conservation would over the period from now to 2040:
After allowing for an Industry adjustment package of $215 million and generous assumptions of potential yields, the Blueprint Institute identified a net benefit value of $45 million in present-day dollars by stopping logging immediately. They note “logging of native hardwood forest on the North Coast is a loss making enterprise, subsidised by Forestry Corporation of New South Wales’ (FCNSW) profitable softwood plantation division, along with the taxpayer via periodic equity injections from the state government. Based on its own merits, we find that FCNSW’s native hardwood division is not commercially viable”. NEFA considers their figures on carbon sequestration grossly understates the uptake of atmospheric carbon by recovering forests, and thus the benefits of ceasing logging. Further to this there are the economic benefits of increasing water yields to streams and reservoirs as forests age – regrowth uses 2-3 times the water of old forest, leaving far less to enter streams. The environmental benefits are priceless. Accounting for faunaNEFA’s legal challenge to the North East NSW Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) was heard in March 2022, and we are still waiting for the judgement. If we are successful in getting the RFA invalidated it will mean the Forestry Corporation’s exemption from the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act will cease, creating an opportunity for us to instigate legal proceedings to protect federally listed species. Further to this, on behalf of native title holder David Mundine, Al Oshlack has challenged harvesting plans for 5 compartments in Cherry Tree State Forest (in the headwaters of the Richmond River) on the grounds that they do not implement Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management. NEFA’s Dailan Pugh, was an expert witness in the case. The case was heard in the Land and Environment Court in early April. Should it succeed, it will create opportunities for further legal challenges to harvesting plans. The new NSW Government has committed to creating a Great Koala National Park, though they refuse to implement a moratorium on logging while their assessment is undertaken (which could take years), allowing core Koala habitat to be logged in the interim. For these reasons, NEFA has engaged experts to undertake a series of surveys of forests proposed for imminent logging. The surveys are focusing on federally listed threatened species, including Koalas, with the intent of collecting evidence on species distributions that we could potentially use in future court cases, should either of the current cases be successful. At the very least we hope to be able to use the results to convince the NSW Government to stop logging Koala habitat we identify, and to pressure them to implement pre-logging Koala surveys of their own. Great Koala National ParkAlmost 50 people gathered in Coffs Harbour last week to discuss the way forward for the Great Koala National Park. How do we turn it from a promise to a reality and get the best possible outcomes for Koalas. There are now more than a dozen local groups within the footprint of the proposed park, each gave a short presentation and all are passionate to see the logging stop immediately before the environmental values and koala habitat are further degraded by Forestry Corporation. Ashley Love gave an historical perspective, Dailan Pugh talked about the legal situation, Tim Cadman presented a map showing the areas planned for logging and Grahame Douglas talked about the difference between the NPA map and the map in the Greens bill to Parliament. Lots of ideas in the mix as well as data gathering. If you want to be more involved in any aspect of the campaign, contact your nearest group or ask us, and we’ll put you in touch with someone. Forest UpdatesDoubleduke State ForestNEFA have been working with local groups to stop logging of the Gully of the Giants in Doubleduke State Forest, west of Evans Head. The Forestry Corporation is logging old growth forest mapped in 1998, which is part of an unburnt fire refuge identified by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in 2020 to be protected from logging as a source area to allow recolonisation of the surrounding extensively burnt forests. The EPA refused NEFA’s request to intervene to reinstate their protection for this exceptional and vital refuge in a heavily burnt landscape. The Gully of the Giants has been a site of ongoing community scrutiny and non-violent direct action since logging operations moved into the valley in January 2023. On March 10 Valerie Thompson held up logging for 30 hours while occupying a tree-sit attached to logging machinery, and on April 4 former Federal Greens candidate Kashmir Miller did the same for 8 hours, bringing widespread public attention to the values of the forest. A public open day at the forest on March 16 attracted almost 100 people and a strong police presence. The Forestry Corporation is required to identify and protect “giant trees” (exceptionally large trees over 1.4m diameter). On March 10 NEFA complained to the EPA that giant trees had not been mapped properly in a proposed logging area, resulting in the EPA guaranteeing they would. A month later NEFA complained that two giant trees had been felled, and further giant trees had not been properly mapped, resulting in the Forestry Corporation agreeing to a request from the EPA to stop work while the trees were properly mapped (as the EPA had earlier promised). Forest protectors were elated that logging was stopped on April 14, though the EPA soon allowed logging of this irreplaceable oldgrowth forest and fire refugia to resume, and are unwilling to take any action on the breaches identified. This madness needs to stop. Newry State ForestNSW Forestry Corporation has recently re-listed Newry State Forest as ‘approved’, which means they are intending to industrially log this native forest any day now. Locals are ready to gather again at Camp Nunguu on Saturday 13th May to send a strong message to NSW Forestry Corporation and the NSW Government that our community is still here, and that they’re willing to take action! Camp Nunguu was established 2 years ago and was temporarily successful in protecting Newry Native Forest from logging. All are welcome and encouraged to attend! Whether you have been a part of the many who built and held camp in the past, or if you are keen to show your support for the first time. More details here. Bulga ForestSave Bulga Forest group is busy with regular citizen science outings gathering data on the values of our forests as well as supporting the nine people arrested over the summer trying to bring some focus to the devastation being wrought on the public’s forests. So far two of those convicted for stopping logging by sitting in tripods, have been given 9 month good behaviour bonds, now known as Conditional Release Orders. The others are all waiting for their day in court. We’re showing the Bob Brown film, The Giants in Taree on June 4 as a fundraiser. If you live near enough come along. Tickets here.https://events.humanitix.com/the-giants-film-screening Redbank Power StationThe Redbank power station proposal refuses to die. It is proposed to open what was a polluting coal power station and convert it to a giant wood-burning polluting power station. Despite the federal government passing a regulation ruling out native forest wood going straight to a power station being counted as renewable energy, this dinosaur refuses to face its extinction reality. The company pushing the proposal has asked the government for the areas it needs to cover in an EIS. The documentation on the Department of Planning website still sees it planning to get hundreds of thousands of tonnes of wood each year from logging and land-clearing. They must be living in an alternate reality. Meanwhile Sweetman’s, the sawmill near Cessnock that was going to supply much of the wood (presumably via installing a woodchipper) is now being touted as a site where plastic waste will be converted to ‘green hydrogen’. Although neither the council nor the neighbours have been told as far as we know. Carbon storage in old treesThe logging industry often say that young trees are more important for removing carbon from the atmosphere than older trees. Well here’s a handy reference to debunk that particular falsehood. In 2014, a massive international study in Nature led by researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey showed not only that older trees store more carbon than younger ones, but that their ability to absorb carbon grows continually as they age. The research, based on direct measurements of more than 160,000 trees from 400 species covering every forested continent, shattered the notion that young trees can replace the capacity of old trees to remove carbon from the atmosphere in anything close to the amount of time that humanity has to address climate change. In fact, because of soil disturbance after a timber harvest, studies have shown that new young forests release more carbon than they absorb for 10 to 20 years after planting. EventsCaldera World Enviroment Day Festival There’s plenty to enjoy at the upcoming Caldera World Environment DayFestival. July 16th. Sussie Russell will be a guest speaker at the World Environment Day event. “Susie is an effective, long-time forest campaigner. Susie’s recent arrest came as the Save Bulga Forest community ramped up their campaign of civil disobedience calling for an end to logging NSW native forests. “I have no doubt I was arrested in order to try and limit my involvement in the campaign. It has however, made my resolve stronger.” Susie brings us uncensored information from the front lines of NSW native forest protection.” Aquarius Festival 50th Anniversary – Nimbin May 12-21Tuesday 16th is a day of activities focused on Politics, Activism and the Environment. You can read the program here There will be an End Native Forest Logging stall during the period of the festival. If you can donate a few hours to staff it, that would be appreciated. To help on the stall phone Cathie 0403443594. Action based event week to#EndNativeForestLoggingOn Saturday August 19, we are rallying in key cities and regions of Australia, calling for an end to native forest logging nationwide. Register here to stay updated with the time and exact location of the rally. We thank you for your support, solidarity and care for the forest! Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have questions about NEFA or are looking for ways to get involved. Til next LEAF, North East Forest Alliance
Website: https://www.nefa.org.au/ Facebook @NorthEastForestAlliance -North East Forest Alliance · 115 Molesworth St, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia Submissions were made to the Review of the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act.Points the National Parks Association of NSW petitioned for included asking for stronger laws to protect nature in NSW:
“We need laws that actually protected the most precious species, habitats and landscapes, not discredited offset schemes that end up paying blood money to government agencies instead of protecting nature. Real laws mean a red line, a refusal of approval, for any development that threatens the extinction of a species or ecological community. Red lines must also apply to development in National Parks, Protected Areas and important habitat corridors. All applications for biodiversity approvals should be assessed in the context of NSW’s commitment to protect a minimum of 30% of our land and seas for biodiversity conservation. The biodiversity offsetting provisions, which were meant to be used in exceptional circumstances, have resulted in putting a price on destroying threatened species and habitats, accelerating their path towards extinction. Disturbingly, offsets have been used to enable approval of massive infrastructure developments in national parks and impacts on connectivity and species distribution. Adequate protection from the mass epidemic of large-scale clearing of native vegetation is falling through the cracks. And, our fish and aquatic species are not covered by the BC Act. Currently, there is a very low listing of marine species and ecological communities. The NSW Environmental Defenders Office has prepared a comprehensive submission guide, see https://www.edo.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/EDO-Submission-Guide-5-year-statutory-review-of-NSW-Biodiversity-Conservation-Act-.pdf The Biodiversity Conservation Act and the related Local Land Services Act were introduced in 2016 and was supposed to protect our state’s precious biodiversity from inappropriate development, large scale clearing and species. The reality is that under these ‘new’ laws nature has never been under more threat, with a tripling of land clearing rates, unprecedented loss of natural habitat and more species than ever plummeting towards extinction. We’ve even seen massive industrial developments in the irreplaceable Kosciuszko National Park and NSW’s iconic koala heading into history! Please send your submissions by 21 April 2023 to biodiversity.review@environment.nsw.gov.au Alternately the NSW Government have an online survey here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/review-of-biodiversity-conservation-act Have your say National Parks Association of NSW Regent Movie: The Message of the Lyrebird Tweed Landcare is hosting a screening of the award-winning film The Message of the Lyrebird. Lyrebirds hold the history of the forest in their song… but are they now singing the sad story of human encroachment? Set in a natural wonderland where an exquisite forest faery has been performing astonishing song and dance routines for 18 million years, The Message of the Lyrebird takes the audience on a journey of self-reflection, connection and a call to remember to live without destroying. The movie is showing at the Regent Cinema in Murwillumbah on the evening of Wednesday 3 May 2023 from 5 pm for optional dinner and drink for 6 pm start. There will also be a talk or two about our local species the Albert’s Lyrebird (Menura alberti). Nesting Boxes for Wildlife – Workshop Conservation Volunteers Australia would like to invite you to their next event in the Tweed Shire about Nest boxes happening on May 25 in Uki. Come along on May 25 and learn about nest box installation with Nick from Sentinel Tree Care. This free event is an introduction to all things nest boxes. Tree hollows are an essential resource for numerous fauna species, and their loss is a threat to hollow-dependent fauna. One solution to alleviate this problem is to install artificial hollows such as nest boxes. We will provide a flat pack nest box and guidance on how to assemble the various styles of boxes. Learn where to place them in one of Australia’s most biodiverse regions.
Deep Ecology with John Seed, an experiential deep ecology workshop. Deep Ecology with John Seed, weekend 14th – 16th, followed by optional stay-over: “Human identity exists at the intersection of the ancient cycles of air, water and soil. In spite of the pervasive illusion of separation, in reality no separation is possible between nature and ourselves. Dismay over Government’s rejection of inquiry recommendation to stop burning native forests for electricity.From The North East Forest Aliance (NEFA) and The North Coast Environment Council (NCEC):
Conservation groups are dismayed by the NSW Government’s rejection of the recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry ‘to prevent the burning of wood from native forests to generate energy’ and exclude its being classed as renewable energy. Contrary to the Government’s claims of moving to net zero carbon and doubling Koala populations, burning native forests for electricity puts us and Koalas on an extinction trajectory, said North East Forest Alliance spokesperson Dailan Pugh. The recent NSW parliamentary inquiry into ‘Sustainability of energy supply and resources in New South Wales’ found the burning of forest biomass for power generation is “not economically or environmentally sustainable, and it generates significant carbon emissions”, recommending “the government takes steps to declassify forest biomass as a form of renewable energy and ensure it’s not eligible for renewable energy credits”. “On Monday the NSW Government showed its disregard for both climate heating and koalas by dismissing the committee’s recommendations on the grounds that they think its fine to burn native forests as long as some sawlogs are also removed. “This opens up north-east NSWs forests, one of the world’s centres of both species diversity and endemism, for woodchipping on the scale of the Eden forests, where over 90% of the trees are logged for woodchips” Mr. Pugh said. “This is particularly distressing as several companies are currently vying to use our native forests to replace coal for generating electricity”, said North Coast Environment Council spokesperson Susie Russell. “Verdant Earth Technologies want to restart the mothballed Redbank power station near Singleton. It will burn over a million tonnes of wood a year, most of it from native forests, and Sweetman Renewables claim to have inked a contract to export native forest woodchips to Japan to be burnt for electricity generation. “Burning trees for electricity is more polluting than coal, and pretending it’s renewable energy with no carbon emissions is a frighteningly dangerous fallacy. “We are in a climate emergency, at current rates of emissions within 8 years we will have burnt through our carbon budget and have no chance of limiting global warming to 1.5oC. We need to start reducing our emissions right now, by transitioning to genuine renewables with no carbon emissions. We need to stop burning stuff for electricity generation. “It’s essential to leave our forests standing so that they can go on taking carbon out of the atmosphere and help clean up our mess. “By supporting business as usual logging and dismissing the Inquiry’s recommendations, the Government has missed yet another opportunity to lower emissions, support genuine renewables and stop the decline of koalas to extinction”, Ms Russell said. |
