GANG-GANG
COCKATOOS PLACED AT RISK BY NSW ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: Threatened
Species ignored under Forestry Act for Private Lands
Conservationists
have waited five and a half years to see the final Code of Practice (COP) for
forestry operations on private lands.
What has it revealed?
The Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) is NSW
listed as Vulnerable under the Threatened Species Act, but doesn’t rate a
mention on the forestry COP for
threatened species in Southern
NSW.
 |
Painting of Gang-gang Cockatoos
by internationally renowned wildlife artist
Humphrey Price-Jones
donated by the artist to Landcare |
“No protective prescription exists for this
species. It is not the only species either completely overlooked or left with
inadequate protections under this
flawed code. “The omission of the
Gang-gang demonstrates either incompetence within the Office of Environment and
Heritage (OEH) or worse” says Mark
Selmes, Vice President of the Goulburn Field Naturalist’s Society, and long
time opponent of PNF firewood logging in Mount Rae Forest - a known breeding area for this
species of cockatoo.
“NSW Environment Minister, Ms Robyn Parker, is aware of the many
flaws within the Forestry Code but refuses to act. The interim forestry law was
a classic example of policy making on the run, but after five and a half years you’d
expect the final COP could list correctly
the known threatened species of our southern forests and woodlands. Past
attempts to cover up the many inadequacies within this act are now exposed.”
“How many of the over 225,000
hectares of logging approvals already issued have been in threatened species
habitat? How many for nothing better than commercial scale firewood? How can
such approvals achieve the objectives of
the Code in ”maintaining non-wood values at or above target levels considered
necessary by society to prevent environmental harm and provide environmental
services for the common good”. If such a product came from overseas we’d ban
it. In NSW it comes with the Environment Minister’s approval.”
“The OEH has been
aware of these issues for years but refuses to act. Mount Rae Forest sits atop the Great
Dividing Range between Taralga and Crookwell and is known to
contain eleven threatened species and over 250 more common plants and animals.
This area was previously targeted for protection by the OEH’s
ecologists who opposed the same firewood logging operation stating it would
“negatively impact on the forests and threatened species” of this area. Five properties
underwent surveys by the Conservation Partners Unit of OEH
recognising the high conservation values of this area. Two landholders entered
legally covenanted Conservation Agreements with the NSW Government, one signed
by Ms Parker. These approvals take about a year and require detailed surveys.
Meanwhile approvals for firewood logging on adjoining lands take on average 28
days and require no environmental surveys.
When hypocritical “streamlined” approvals allow the director of a
firewood business to deny the presence of existing threatened species and gain
support by forestry networks who state they will use this legislation to access over a million ha’s of native forests in the
region to supply firewood markets in Sydney and Canberra, then you know the OEH has become just another politicised agency
selling out to vested interests. These logging plans are automatically granted
bio-certification by Ms Parker, so now the OEH
apparently recognises firewood logging with heavy machinery as improving and enhancing
biodiversity. Well this IS the
same Environment Minister who once said logging protects koalas.
The Gang-gang cockatoo is the faunal emblem
of the ACT where it is not yet considered threatened. Many Gang-gangs breed in remnants of forest
and woodland in the Southern Highlands and
Tablelands before wintering in the lower altitude of Canberra. The people of Canberra can console themselves with the
thought that while less of these charismatic cockatoos will be coming down to Canberra this winter, more
firewood and wood smoke will be. Burning threatened species homes to warm
theirs? All thanks to the NSW
Environment Minister.
**********************
Sources:
Appendix: listed species
ecological prescriptions p.16
·
Budget Estimate 2012 –
Supplementary QONs page 23 of 54. Questions from the Hon. C. Faehrmann MLC specifically questions 69 -77 on Mount Rae
Forest.
·
For a detailed public
submission on flaws in the PNF COP
as exemplified by the Mount
Rae Forest
case see:
Native
Vegetation Regulation Submission No. 306 Mr Mark Selmes.
·
The below are quotes from forestry newsletters which support the use of
the OEH
Private Native Forest Act for commercial firewood logging :
Southern Tablelands Farm Forestry
Network Newsletter Autumn 2009:
Forests for Bio-Energy Markets and Resources for Firewood in South East Australia...Comments
from a STFFN Perspective :
“The Southern Tablelands has 1.2 million hectares of private native
forest (PNF), which if managed properly, could yield an estimated 800,000
tonnes of firewood per annum. However
95% of this PNF is unmanaged, and most PNF owners do not do not realise the
potential of the resource...”
“STFFN has been assisting some landholders to obtain a PVP to allow
for harvesting of their PNF. Despite all this, governments appear to be
reluctant to accept that firewood can be a legitimate greenhouse gas friendly
heating source. The ACT government has actively tried to stop wood heating...
and some local governments have refused development consent for sustainable
harvesting of PNF, despite the landholder having a legal and legitimate PVP .*
* This refers to Mount Rae
Forest. Upper Lachlan Shire Councillors had voted against
this operation (largely on the advice of NSW Government scientists . The need
for council consent for forestry operations has now been removed under the new State Template LEP
and commercial firewood logging is happening in Mount Rae Forest.
Southern Tablelands Farm Forestry Network Newsletter
“The Native forest types of the Southern Tablelands rarely produce
reasonable quantities of sawlog grade trees. In fact most of the wood in our
forests is firewood grade. Therefore commercial harvesting will require access
to the firewood industry... the challenge lies in coordinating a private
industry and ensuring consistent supply. “
“Options
for Growing Firewood.
1.
Managing existing stands of native
timber: There is more than 1.5 million hectares of existing native forest
occurring on private lands in the Southern Tablelands. Much of this area of land is accessible for small scale firewood
harvesting operations. Under New
State government
legislative reforms landholders will be able to conduct commercial firewood
operations...”
