Logging access was blocked to Clouds Creek State Forest on Monday by local community members who were supported by Greens MP Sue Higginson as they sought to prevent logging road operations and protect endangered species in the forest.
The Federal Court is expected to deliver a judgement this Wednesday on the lawfulness of native forest logging under federal environment laws. Koalas and the southern greater glider are among some of the endangered species in the Clouds Creek State Forest.
Justice Perry’s Federal Court judgement on North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) vs The Commonwealth of Australia is being handed down at 10.15am on Wednesday NEFA President, Dailan Pugh, told The Echo.
‘Clouds Creek State Forest has already been targeted by the government for more logging despite being within the boundaries of the Great Koala National Park that the Minns government has promised. This forest is one of many that has been subjected to industrial logging despite known presence of endangered species including koalas and southern greater gliders,’ said Ms Higginson.
‘The Federal Court of Australia is on the verge of deciding whether public native forest logging that is ongoing in NSW is compliant with federal laws that are supposed to protect the environment and biodiversity. The logging operations that have been blocked by the community today could well be permanently halted if the court agrees that the government has failed to obey the law.
‘The community and the Forestry Corporation both know that logging is being undertaken in areas with reported sightings of endangered greater gliders without the lawfully required protections for their habitat trees being in place. This situation has been repeated in other forests with the Environment Protection Authority issuing multiple stop work orders for the same issue in Tallaganda and Flat Rock State Forests last year.’
RFA invalidated?
‘We objected to the Commonwealth and NSW governments extending the North East NSW Regional Forest Agreement in 2018 based on 1997 data, without requiring a new assessment, particularly of threatened species, old growth and climate change,’ Mr Pugh explained.
‘The case was heard in March 2022 and we have since been waiting for a decision. The process has taken over five years.
‘Should NEFA win, the 2018 North East NSW Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) will be invalidated, which will mean the exemption it gives from the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) will no longer apply.
‘If the Forestry Corporation then proposes logging that will cause “significant impacts” on the habitat of nationally threatened species it will need to be referred to federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, for assessment.’
Great Koala National Park
‘Last year’s announcement that the NSW Government will protect koala hubs in the proposed boundaries of the Great Koala National Park was a good first step but it doesn’t go far enough to protect critical habitat,’ Nature Conservation Council (NCC) Chief Executive Officer Jacqui Mumford told The Echo.
‘We need to arrest the sad trend of species decline and protect our forests. There are dozens of threatened and endangered species in areas that are currently or imminently being logged in NSW.
‘Whatever the Federal Court decision on the validity of the 2018 North-east Regional Forestry Agreement, one thing is clear – the only way to ensure the protection of these important species is to end the broadscale destruction of native forests.’
‘It’s time to end native forest logging in NSW.’
Mr Pugh pointed out that, ‘Within north east NSW’s state forests that are currently being logged, or proposed for imminent logging, there are nationally significant populations of over 11 nationally threatened animal species and 13 plant species. Of particular concern are the endangered koala, southern greater glider, spotted-tailed quoll, Hastings River mouse, rufous scrub bird, and giant barred frog.
‘For their sake I hope we win,’ Mr Pugh said.
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