National Parks Association (NPA) President Dr Grahame Douglas says that the Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe must have been given misleading advice when she described Pine Creek State Forest as plantations in the NSW parliament (see below)
“Forestry Corporation claims that these forests are plantations, which the NSW Government has stated are an important part of the transition to ecologically sustainable timber production.”
“The problem is that many of the areas targeted in Pine Creek State Forest are not genuine plantations, but instead native forest that is of vital importance as koala habitat’”
“It’s time to stop Forestry Corporation’s cynical rebranding of native forests as plantations.”
said (NPA) President Dr Grahame Douglas
The revelation that Forestry Corp has mislead the Minister, who in turn mislead parliament, comes as the NSW Auditor General has released a report finding that Forestry Corp is not complying with the law in their logging operations.
The Auditor General was critical of the Forestry Corporation’s processes and assessments for non-compliance during logging operations across our public native forest estate.
The report has also identified that the Environment Protection Authority needs to increase the resources and training provided to compliance officers to ensure they are able to complete their job regulating the logging of our native forests.
NSW Minister for Agriculture, The Hon. Tara Moriarty MLC spent time this month visiting Forestry Corp in Bagawa State Forest near Coffs Harbour. She hopes to meet with other stakeholders in the future.
“Over the coming weeks I also hope to spend time in the field visiting other forest types including softwood plantations and to meet with stakeholders.”
NSW Minister for Agriculture, The Hon. Tara Moriarty MLC said.
NSW Government need to intervene to save our koalas
The National Parks Association (NPA) is calling on Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty and Environment Minister Penny Sharpe to intervene to save critically important koala habitats from a cynical attempt by Forestry Corporation to derail the creation of the Great Koala National Park.
National Parks Association (NPA) President Dr Grahame Douglas said
“Over the weekend Forestry Corporation added an additional 746 hectares of prime koala habitat in Pine Creek State Forest for clear felling’, this is on top of the 374 hectares already planned. They have also now given the green light to the immediate clear felling of compartment 14.”
“NPA is delighted that the NSW Government supports the Great Koala National Park. Now’s the time to ensure that the national park becomes a reality, and these koala populations are protected in perpetuity.”
“The rogue actions of the NSW Government’s Forestry Corporation risks destroying that future before the park can be created’.
“NPA calls on the Ministers to urgently review the conservation status of these Pine Creek forests and to immediately suspend all forestry operations until the NSW Government has signed off on a final boundary for the Great Koala National Park”
“We call on the Ministers to urgently meet with local community representatives and conservation groups at Pine Creek to see the reality of these forests, starting with compartments 14 to 18. In addition, areas such as Compartments 7, 8 and 9 are not plantations but native forests with core koala habitat that are now slated for logging.”
National Parks Association (NPA) President Dr Grahame Douglas said
Extract from Legislative Council Hansard, 31 May 2023
The Hon. PENNY SHARPE (Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for the Environment, and Minister for Heritage)
People are talking about the great koala national park, which Labor is absolutely committed to establishing. I have mentioned several times in the House the process we would undertake in relation to that. But there is ongoing debate regarding some forestry operations within the notional boundaries of the great koala national park.
`In particular, I put on record the issue of Pine Creek. Within those areas plantation forests will be harvested. I make it very clear that Labor supports plantation forestry. Those trees were put in the ground to be harvested.
We must be very clear about what is plantation and what is native forestry and the way in which that is managed throughout the process of creating the great koala national park. It is not Labor’s intention to have plantation forests included within the great koala national park.
For all of the talk about the support for plantation, we have plantation trees that have been growing for many years that are ready to be harvested. We must work with that.
Obviously we need rules about how that harvesting occurs as well as an absolute precaution in relation to any threatened species. But it is important to draw the distinction because I am asked about it every single day. We must be very clear that we will be very careful.
We are working closely with Forestry Corporation on the operation of planned forestry activity into the future. Importantly, plantation timbers—which everyone seems agree needs to happen—must be allowed to be harvested.
See also: Forestry Corporation failing to comply with the law: Auditor General
What can NSW Government do to stop koala extinction
Forest action spreads to Doubleduke & Lorne State Forests
NSW Nationals motion on the Forestry Industry, 31 May 2023
A burnt & logged nature reserve is not a nature reserve
Legal challenge to New South Wales Regional Forest Agreement (RFA)
Taxpayers hit with $5 million bill for Forestry Corp to log koala habitat
