Environmental activists say a company that has been felling old-growth forest on a private property on Boormans Rd, Limpinwood, is being allowed to continue trucking out logs despite a temporary ban on further logging.
There is growing anger in the little community between Tyalgum and Chillingham regarding the unauthorised logging and road works by Hewittville Pty Ltd, whose property borders World Heritage forests.
According to Northern Rivers Guardians president Scott Sledge, dust clouds can be seen and the noise of the logging trucks heard for kilometres from the once quiet, peaceful rural community ‘where residents mostly care deeply about preserving habitat for wildlife.’
The group held a gathering at Boormans Road on Sunday (October 1) ‘in response to the lack of effective action by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA),’ Mr Sledge told Echonetdaily.
‘Officers from the EPA and Tweed Shire Council visited the logging site recently, and apparently told the Hewittville proprietor that he may take out logs already cut, but not to cut down more trees until matters are further investigated,’ he said.
Longtime resident Susie Hearder said she was told this would mean about eight more trucks would come out carrying logs.
‘It would appear that Hewittville is being allowed to profit from trees being cut down in an Environmental Protection Zone without authorization,’ Ms Hearder said.
‘This sends a very bad message to other landholders that they can break the rules with impunity,’ she added.
‘The EPA should hand over compliance to Tweed Shire Council in the short term but the licence needs to be revoked as it is unfair to expect taxpayers or ratepayers to continually bear the costs.’
Ms Hearder said five government agencies had been involved in compliance issues on the property so far and ‘many of the breaches are being repeated.’
Concerned local residents, some of whom saw koalas fleeing from the logging, have written to environment minister Gabrielle Upton with their concerns for the koalas and other threatened species on the property, including marbled frogmouths, masked owls and glossy black cockatoos.
So far residents say they have been ‘very disappointed’ with the response to their letters to the minister and have complained to local MPs Thomas George and Geoff Provest.
‘Even the urgent request for action from Tweed Shire Council has received no direct response from Minister Upton’ Ms Hearder said.
‘Since the property was purchased by Hewittville in 2013 there have been repeated unauthorised works resulting in significant environmental damage and multiple pollution events.
‘Hopping Dicks Creek was once home to many platypus, but erosion has silted up their pools.
‘On September 7 Tweed Shire Councillors voted unanimously to contact the NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton and ask her to revoke the Private Native Forestry Agreement.
‘We have not heard back from the minister directly, but the EPA have agreed to a meet with us.’ Ms Hearder said.
Reenie Henderson, whose house is close to the logging, track said,’ There is a lot of noise and dust suffered by local residents. I would not have bought this land if I was informed about plans to log nearby.’
‘Residents are also concerned about safety on our roads with logging trucks driving along Boormans Rd, which is a single lane gravel road with blind corners.
‘Danger from the logging trucks travelling around sharp bends on the roads between Limpinwood, Chillingham and Murwillumbah are also a worry,’ Ms Henderson said .
Mr Sledge said that the system of voluntary compliance to the Private Native Forestry Code of Conduct ‘allows landholders to log native forests with no assessment until well after the events – and this needs to change.’
‘A detailed assessment of native forests for wildlife habitat needs to be done before any future agreements are issued for logging on private land,’ he said.
‘I believe that only a big fine and cancellation of this PNF Agreement will deter rogue operators,’
‘It’s time that we shift to plantation forestry,’ Mr Sledge said.
He added ‘the small fines imposed on Hewittville for previous breaches seem to have had little effect.’
Tweed Mayor Katie Milne has raised the issue of cultural significance in the area, and she called for ‘a comprehensive audit for heritage sites.’
‘About half the property is indicated to have predictive cultural heritage according to the council’s Cultural Heritage mapping, as expected being at the base of this sacred Mt Warning / Wollumbin site,’ she said.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
