Category: GKNP
30 years of removing legal safeguards for native forests is destroying what is left of native forest ecologies.
Below is a concise summary of legislation changes over the past 30 years that have removed existing legal protections and increased the destructiveness of logging of native forests.
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1. Native Vegetation Conservation Act 1997 (NSW) – [Later replaced by the [even worse] Native Vegetation Act 2003:
The 1997 Act claimed to regulate land clearing but instead allowed exemptions for forestry operations from existing regulations under Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (IFOAs).
The 2003 Act relaxed restrictions further, introducing self-assessment for landholders and reducing oversight on clearing activities.
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2. Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Act 2005 (NSW):
This amendment reduced scrutiny and simplified development approvals, reducing environmental impact assessments for forestry and other projects.
Great Koala National Park
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.”
NEFA: The North East Forest Alliance
NEFA LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR RICHMOND RIVER KOALA PARKS
NEFA have started a campaign for 56,200 hectares of public native forests in the southern Richmond River valley and on Richmond Range (south of the Bruxner Highway) to be created as the Richmond River Koala Reserves. This is largest stronghold of koalas in the Richmond catchment, a genetically different population from that found in the Great Koala National Park (see below). Protecting these forests will also help over 130 other threatened species and improve the health of the Richmond River.
It is proposed that 56,200 ha of State Forests in the southern catchment of the Richmond River valley and along the southern Richmond Range be created as the Richmond River Koala Parks. These parks will:
- protect the largest area of Koala habitat in the Richmond catchment and habitat of 130 other threatened species,
- help restore the health of the Richmond River by increasing stream flows in dry times and reducing flooding and sediment runoff in wet times, and
- create a regionally important wildlife corridor along the Richmond Range from Bundjalung National Park to the Border Ranges National Park.
These parks encompass 40,000 ha (5.7%) of the Richmond River Catchment, including 37,800 ha (21%) of the Bungawalbin Creek sub-catchment. The proposed parks extend from the floodplain up into the headwaters on the Richmond Range. Forests are an important part of the water cycle, recycling rainfall back into the atmosphere (cooling the land in the process), storing water and releasing surplus water into streams. As the forests recover from past logging the maturing forests will moderate streamflows, increasing baseflows in dry periods and reducing peak flows and flooding in rainfall events.
Forestry continue to haemorrhage money
From the North East Forest Alliance, NEFA News:
“Forestry Corps have declared a half year normalised earnings loss of $14.9 on their hardwood logging, in part blaming protests, protection of Koala hubs in the GKNP, the new Greater Glider protocols and having to assess the unique and special wildlife values in plantations. The claimed significance of these beggars belief, when their core problem is that their royalties don’t even cover the costs of cutting down the trees and transporting them to the mills.
Timber production and financial results remain below expectations
The ongoing depression in new housing construction was reflected in below average timber sales during the reporting period, particularly for the high quality softwood timber that is predominately used to construct house frames. Expenditure control measures continued to be effective, however financial returns remained well below previous years. Hardwood timber production also continued to be constrained by regulatory changes reducing timber supply in coastal native forests as well as wet weather and protest disruptions. Force majeure notices were issued to customers in northern NSW due to the impacts of changes to regulatory protocols that prevented harvesting in koala hubs
Nature Conservation Council
Links to Nature Conservation Council website, recommended.
[nefanews]: Axe falls on loggers’ plan to avoid battle over gliders
[Caldera note: A recent court case determined that private people or entities could not take legal action against logging operations carried out in breach of regulations, and that only government entities had that right. The current court case has over-ruled that finding, opening the courts to individuals and groups to pursue legal action against logging operations which are in breach of regulations. This is important as the NSW Government has been protective of logging operations and has refused to take action against breaches of regulations.]
“Environmentalists have hailed a High Court decision in their battle to protect habitat for gliders.
The nation’s highest court has kept the door open for environmental groups to prosecute law-breaking loggers when regulators won’t, dealing another blow to the native timber industry.
NEFA: Koala claims are yet more false information by loggers
“The loggers are once again spreading false information in their attempts to stop the Great Koala National Park (GKNP), this time by claiming that the assessment of Koalas was based upon Koala scat searches when they know it was based upon comprehensive drone surveys that identified actual Koalas.
For the GKNP repeated night time drone surveys were undertaken using infrared at 169 59ha sites to identify individual Koalas, involving 4,000 kms of drone flight by a team of 26 drone pilots.
The results of this unprecedented survey intensity were extrapolated to map the density of Koalas across the GKNP, identifying a total population of 12,000 Koalas, NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh said.
Cudgen Nature Reserve
“Escape the Tweed Coast crowds and head to Cudgen Nature Reserve. Great for school excursions, with opportunities for fishing, canoeing, picnicking and birdwatching.
“Visit Cudgen Nature Reserve and you’ll quickly leave the hectic Tweed Coast behind, as you surround yourself in a mosaic of beauty and contrasting landscapes. It’s a modest reserve, but it’s packed full of things to see and do for the whole family. Indulge in picnicking at Cudgen picnic area and admire the dramatic backdrop of Wollumbin Mount Warning. It’s also a great spot for birdwatching and home to some of the last remaining koalas on the Tweed Coast, so keep a lookout in the trees around the lake and near Round Mountain. Go sailing on the lake or explore the shorelines and birdlife by kayak or canoe. And if that’s not enough, the beach nearby also offers great fishing and surfing.”