In a landmark study published today in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, fourteen of Australia’s leading forest scientists have laid bare the devastating impact of native forest logging in New South Wales. The research paints a grim picture of environmental degradation and species loss, highlighting the urgent need for policy reform to tackle this extinction crisis.
The study on PDF reveals that over 60% of New South Wales’ native forests have been destroyed or severely degraded by logging since European colonization. The findings also critique the current methodologies used to assess the environmental impact of logging, pointing out that they fail to account for the historical context of land use. This oversight, according to the scientists, is accelerating the extinction of native species faster than previously anticipated.
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The ongoing logging operations pose a direct threat to the habitats of over 150 vulnerable species, putting them at imminent risk of extinction. The report further underscores that New South Wales is falling behind other Australian states and international jurisdictions that have already banned native forest logging.
Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment, Sue Higginson, voiced her alarm over the findings, calling for immediate action. “This new science confirms our worst fears and totally undermines the pretext for the deeply unpopular, unprofitable, and dangerous practice of native forest logging,” Higginson stated. She described the situation as “death by a thousand cuts,” emphasizing that the cumulative effects of logging are far more catastrophic than individual assessments suggest.
Higginson also criticized the Forestry Corporation of New South Wales, calling its rationale for logging “a lie.” She argued that the current ad hoc impact assessments are inadequate and fail to consider the complex history, context, and ecological connections of the areas being logged.
Her comments come on the heels of a recent ruling by the Land and Environment Court, which found the Forestry Corporation to be a “serial illegal logger” with little likelihood of changing its practices. “This must concern the Premier,” Higginson said, noting that the Forestry Corporation is a State Owned Corporation.
The situation is particularly dire as the Labor Government is poised to log another 400,000 hectares of critical habitat, home to some of the state’s most threatened wildlife, including koalas, quolls, and cockatoos. Higginson urged the Premier to halt these operations immediately.
“The Premier could call off the bulldozers and the chainsaws tomorrow – what will it take for him to show some leadership and put a stop to the vandalism of an utterly unique natural public asset?” she asked.
Higginson also pointed out that New South Wales is becoming increasingly isolated in its stance on logging, as other states and countries have already ceased the practice.
“This Government is hogtied by the Forestry Corporation, and New South Wales has become a laggard and an outlier. Victoria stopped logging. New Zealand stopped logging. Western Australia and South Australia have stopped logging. We need to get on with the inevitable,” she concluded.
The new research has intensified calls for the New South Wales government to reconsider its logging policies and align with the growing national and global movement towards forest conservation. As pressure mounts, the question remains whether the state will take decisive action to protect its remaining native forests and the endangered species that rely on them.
The abstract highlights the ongoing global issue of logging and its impact on biodiversity, with a focus on New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The study quantifies deforestation and degradation in NSW from 1788 (pre-European colonization) to 2021.
It finds that possibly over half of the original native forest and woodland in NSW has been lost, with 9 million hectares of the remaining 25 million hectares now degraded. Recent logging (2000–2022) has further impacted 150 threatened species already affected by historical deforestation, with some species now having less than 50% of their pre-1788 habitat intact.
The research underscores the need for future land management to consider both the historical and current condition of habitats, as environmental assessments often overlook historical baselines.
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