Forestry stand-off moves north

STAN GORTON 

Narooma News, 25 Jan, 2012

FORESTS NSW has asked police to investigate thefts and vandalism to a logging contractor’s machinery near Batemans Bay over the weekend.

Forests NSW Southern Region manager Daniel Tuan said the thefts of radios, tools, GPS equipment and other material worth thousands of dollars had taken place in Boyne State Forest on Friday night and was discovered on Saturday.

LOGGING AREA: Protestors attached cables to logging equipment in the Boyne State Forest near Batemans Bay. Photo courtesy SEFR

On Sunday night vandals broke into the same four pieces of machinery and set off fire protection equipment.

“These thefts of essential and expensive equipment can be a lasting setback to forestry operators,” Mr Tuan said.

“UHF radios are an essential operating and safety measure.

“Operators of these pieces of heavy machinery have to be aware of each other and visitors to the workplace.

“The GPS equipment is used to help the contractors comply with the exacting operating procedures they work under to ensure they are harvesting in an environmentally sustainable manner.

“The loss of time in replacing this equipment, as well as the cost, is a major impost on their operating budget and a setback to Forests NSW which needs to supply timber to its customers.”

Mr Tuan said the vandalism of the fire protection units was also a risk to operator health and safety in a difficult workplace environment.

Forests NSW is harvesting spotted gum sawlogs from Boyne State Forest for the local sawmill industry.

There is a long history of harvesting in the area.

In solidarity with Victorian conservationists in the Central Highlands, protestors from South East Forest Rescue (SEFR) last week claim to have halted logging operations Boyne State Forest north of Batemans Bay.

The conservation group claims to have found more illegal logging in Compartment 99 and is calling for an end to native forest logging on public land.

Their action saw four logging machines attached by high tensile steel cable to a structure in a tree 20 metres off the ground, and a banner stating “Carbon Criminals”.

Boyne State Forest is part of the National Estate Register, contains records of nationally listed endangered species, as well as state-listed species, such as swift parrots, yellow-bellied gliders, masked and sooty owls.

South East Forest Rescue’s nocturnal fauna survey revealed greater gliders, feather-tailed gliders and sugar gliders as well as micro bats.

SEFR have demanded that the state-run logging agency Forests NSW guarantee there will be no impacts on the environment as a result of the logging and to guarantee any logging Forests NSW and their authorised contractors undertake will not impact on the health and wellbeing of the citizens of New South Wales, being both present and future unborn generations.

“These contractors are repeat offenders,” said Ms Stone, spokesperson for SEFR. “In Dampier State Forest and Bodalla State Forest in the foothills of Gulaga Mountain near Narooma, we uncovered breaches of the licence conditions committed by this contractor.”

“The Office of Environment and Heritage upheld these breaches,” Ms Stone said.

“Old-growth forest, ecologically mature forest, was logged.

Clear felled hillsides are not any form of environmental protection. There are now serious adverse impacts to the many threatened species of the area, and the water catchment

Logging breaches discovered by conservationists in Yambulla State Forest

MEDIA RELEASE 
18/01/2012

Following the reports on unlawful logging in State forest on the south coast, the conservation group South East Forest Rescue today found more illegal logging in Yambulla State Forest.  This is the third time these type of breaches have been discovered in these particular compartments.

The conservationists are calling for a halt to native forest logging operations.

The compartment contains records of nationally listed endangered species such as Glossy Black Cockatoos, Smokey Mice, Southern Brown Bandicoots, Tiger Quolls, Eastern Pygmy Possums, Bent Wing Bats, Yellow-bellied Gliders, Gang Gang Cockatoos and White-Footed Dunnarts.

Environmentalists used a large wooden tripod attached to a structure in a tree 25 metres high with a person in it to halt logging operations south of Eden on the New South Wales far south coast.

There were four Rocky Outcrops in Yambulla State Forest Cpt 444 that have been logged.  This is unlawful under the licence conditions. (Eden Region TSL regulation 5.11).

“The response from Forests NSW shows the complete lack of regard for the licence conditions that Forests NSW and their contractors must abide by,” said Ms Stone of SEFR.  “The licence conditions for threatened species and habitat conservation are not being adhered to, even though the conditions are grossly inadequate.”

“We have reported the breaches in this compartment to the Office of Environment and Heritage,” said Ms Stone.  “We stated last time that the probability of further breaches in this compartment if harvesting continues is high given that this logging contractor is a repeat offender and that FNSW still is not complying with the licence conditions.”

"These breaches have caused major environmental damage. We have called on the Federal Minister for the Environment to take action.”

“We’re calling on the NSW Minister for the Environment to prosecute Forests NSW without further delay,” she said.  “Verbal and written warnings have been ineffective in rectifying this behaviour nor commensurate with the degree of environmental damage being inflicted upon threatened species habitat.”

"FNSW has had enough chances to get this simple direction right over 13 years and have failed miserably.  The time is over for 'education'. It is now time for the government to get serious and prosecute public
forest offenders of serious environmental damage as they are prosecuted on private land."

Contact Lisa Stone on 0428 640 271