What community forestry activists have feared is happening right now: Forestry Corp has started logging compartment 14 of the Pine Creek State Forest within the boundaries of the Great Koala National Park (GKNP).
The compartment is bordered on three sides by Bongil Bongil National Park. It contains a ‘koala hub’ – the only interim government policy protection afforded koala in the GKNP. Because Forestry has selectively logged this area in the past it is now up for clear felling.
Forestry’s plan is to log this compartment and then four more (15-18). The logging of compartments 15-18 will result in the total demolition of the Forest Bridge which provides connectivity from Bongil Bongil to Bindari National Park. This connectivity is critical.
The NSW ALP government, when in Opposition, promised the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) as a key strategy to prevent koalas becoming extinct in the wild in NSW.
Nannas are dismayed that this has not translated into protection for native forests within the boundaries of the GKNP following the government’s election in March.
Community forestry protection groups and the mainstream media have highlighted the devastation of koala habitat, and that NSW Forestry Corporation is continuing to use the most destructive methods. This is what we understand to be the current situation on the ground:
- Logging of Pine Creek State Forest commenced today, 23 October, and Forestry has also slated the destruction of the critical forest bridge in the following four compartments.
- Environment Minister Penny Sharpe is implementing a range of tactics to enable continued logging and delay progress towards the proclamation of the Park. The Minister and the Premier appear most focused on Forestry Corporation’s demands and timber mill contract supply.
- Minister Penny Sharpe is not able to provide the date by which the Park will be proclaimed, indeed she has not even agreed to the boundary of the Park. The community expects the Park to be within the minimum boundaries drawn up by forest ecologists a decade ago.
- The best the community has been offered is that ‘a’ Park will be declared within the first term of government – and that may be 2026! Nannas are dismayed!
- The accelerated rate of clear fell logging now going on is wiping out the forest continuity which enables unimpeded movement of animals. This threatens the very viability of the Park.
Background from the front line
Nanna Chris from Coffs Harbour Nannas has provided this background information.
The ALP in Opposition promised $80 million for establishment of the GKNP. These funds could be used to buy out timber mill contracts and provide for a just transition for forestry workers to other industries.
However only $1.5 million was allocated in the recent budget with the remainder held over to future years. Meanwhile Forestry is able to continue logging almost unimpeded. It’s pretty clear the government is not serious about making haste to protect koalas and the many other forest dependent species. The government seems not to appreciate that the wasteful practices of Forestry threaten more than iconic and endangered species.
Fully 50-60% of every tree felled is ‘waste’ for Forestry’s purposes. Non target species such as casuarina (the primary food source of endangered glossy black cockatoo) is swept away as trash. All this is bulldozed into 3-meter high long windrows and burned. What are the CO2 losses from this practice one wonders.
It’s well past time that the government accepted that hardwood timber plundered from our remaining forests for low value products such as pallets, tomato stakes, fencing, and wood chips for export to China is not viable, not intelligent, not sustainable, and not right in the midst of a global climate crisis. It’s also important to know that most of NSW’s construction hardwood is imported from New Zealand! NSW Forestry Corp now fell quite small trees in rapid rotation never allowing them to reach construction size.
State forests are public lands set aside not just for timber production but also for environmental conservation and recreation. Forestry’s charter has a distinct focus on production even though the hardwood division loses money every year.
In past years selective logging was employed where only specific sizes and species were logged. These areas were often seeded or infill-planted afterwards with blackbutt, turpentine and tallowwood and re-designated as ‘plantation’. This sleight of hand definition has enabled these same forests to now be clear felled. The reality is that with passing time these so called ‘plantations’ have become high value habitat hardly distinguishable from areas that have not been selectively logged in the past. They are nothing like the extensive softwood plantations of pine. Rather they are fine mixed hardwood forests with complex understories, rainforest associations, swamp species, and vast riparian zones hugging the countless rivulets, streams, creeks and three important lowland rivers. They are almost indistinguishable from National Parks.
The intent of the GKNP as devised by ecologists and the community over a decade ago, was to combine existing National Parks and Nature Reserves with all state forests within the proposed boundary. The boundary encloses a region of known koala populations which has excellent habitat and species diversity traversing a range of elevations, microclimates and soil types. This ecosystem diversity is essential for population movement, genetic diversity and animal health.
Coffs Harbour Nannas are concerned about the following –
Pine Creek State Forest
Logging has commenced in compartment 14, and a critical Forest Bridge is part of the next four compartments, as explained above.
Oakes State Forest in the Kalang Headwaters
Forestry have encountered some delays in their plans to destroy compartment 17 due to their poor road construction. The usually impotent EPA ordered remedial works to prevent erosion of unconsolidated soil strata. Planning for compartments 18-21 continue. Forest defenders maintain a nightly vigil at a key location.
This vigil is well supported given the inaccessibility of the area. It’s up in the clouds and is beautiful, affording panoramic views across the mountain ranges. The Friends of Kalang Headwaters group and Kalang River Forest Alliance are hopeful that Forestry will be delayed until next year and indeed stopped permanently in Oakes.
Fire
The Mid North Coast is much dryer than usual. Consequently trees are defoliating. The creeks are drying, river levels are low and animals will doubtless suffer the stress of dwindling food and water. Clear fell logging and Forestry’s appalling windrow burning
contributes to soil moisture decline and fire hazard. It is a fact that Forestry’s burning in Conglomerate State Forest on Monday 16 October got out of control when the wind velocity was predicted at 30k/h wind. The RFS were called in and fire-retardant chemicals
were dropped by plane to protect neighbouring properties.
Flawed Government and Forestry Policy
The issues of policy failure are so extensive that they merit an entire paper. Forestry Corp are out of control and without oversight from the EPA. At this point it appears the government is willing to sacrifice the Mid North Coast forests to appease industry and union interests. There is no evidence that the Premier or Ministers regard the industry as reckless, just as whaling was reckless. There appears to be no intention to halt forest logging and there is no recognition that eucalypt forest is worth more standing no matter from what perspective it is viewed. One wonders if some of the GKNPs targeted $80 million will be used to capture koalas and set up a new zoo for tourists to view the last remaining animals while they await their fate like that of the Tasmanian Tiger.
Cranky Nanna Chris is feeling a little bitter and twisted.