Volunteers and community scientists have repeatedly highlighted the failure of NSW Forestry Corporation (NSWFC) to identify hollow-bearing trees used by the endangered southern greater gliders, the largest marsupial glider in the world. Now the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has removed the requirement for specific surveys for the greater gliders and greater glider den trees before logging operations start.
Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC) analysis has shown that areas with some of the highest numbers of greater glider records in the state are being logged right now.
‘The EPA seems to have agreed that surveying for nocturnal gliders during the day is ineffective, and rather than mandate nighttime surveys they have simply removed the requirements to look for them altogether,’ said Clancy Barnard, NCC spokesperson.
Instead the EPA has required that, in some areas, there will a small increase in hollow bearing trees (80 cm or above) retained from eight to 14 per hectare.
‘Greater gliders are under such a threat of extinction that every individual, every den tree makes a difference to the survival of the species,’ said Gary Dunnett, National Parks Association (NPA) Executive Officer.
‘By removing the requirement for pre-logging surveys the NSW government has abandoned responsible environmental management and gifted NSWFC a ‘set and forget’ arrangement that will do nothing to safeguard gliders. Our forests and threatened species deserve better.’
Bushfire impacts
Approximately 900,000 hectares of NSW public forests are subject to logging and last week Friends of the Forest (Mogo) found 13 greater gliders and four of their den trees, in two nights at Flat Rock State Forest, in trees immediately adjacent to logging machinery subject to a stop work order.
‘This government’s cessation to survey for den trees will cause great environmental harm to forest wildlife already devastated by the Black Summer wildfires across NSW,’ said a spokesperson for NSW Forest Alliance.
‘The alarming loss of hollow-bearing trees in the 2019/20 wildfires requires that we should be protecting all remaining hollow-bearing trees for the 174 NSW species that depend upon them, and restoring them across the landscape by retaining the biggest remaining trees to develop into future hollow-bearing trees,’ said North East Forest Alliance spokesperson Dailan Pugh.
Citizen scientists
‘This decision attempts to override the current legal requirement to identify and protect 50m around den trees of southern greater glider, yellow-bellied glider, squirrel glider and brush-tailed phascogale, along with nest trees for masked, sooty and barking owls.
‘The homes of these hollow-dependent nocturnal species can only be identified in nocturnal searches. The political deal done between the EPA and NSWFC removes the need for nocturnal searches, instead requiring the retention of four to six additional mature trees per hectare in modelled greater glider habitat. The current requirement to retain eight hollow-bearing trees per hectare already can’t be met in most logged coastal forests, so requiring the retention of a few additional trees will be of limited benefit to hollow-dependent species.
‘Contrary to the EPA’s claims, protecting a few additional trees does not increase habitat protection compared to identifying and protecting 50m around their homes.
‘Allowing logging around den and nest trees is grossly irresponsible. Wide buffers are needed to provide mature trees for foraging, additional den trees, future hollow-bearing trees, and to buffer trees from wind throw.’
The removal of the requirement for NSWFC to identify den trees leaves the work in the unpaid hands of volunteers and citizen scientists with a range of organisations calling for the end of native forest logging.
‘It will now be up to citizen scientists to do the work the EPA and NSWFC won’t and identify the hollow-bearing trees that are vital sanctuaries for endangered species like the greater glider,’ said Mr Barnard.
‘While the Forestry Corporation have proven they are unwilling and incapable of identifying greater glider den trees, conservation groups have identified dozens in recent months, proving that they can be found. This emphasises the need for independent searches,’ explained Mr Pugh.
Buyback contracts
Vice-President of the North Coast Environment Council (NCEC) Susie Russell said that, ‘The government needs to immediately begin to buy back wood contracts to take the pressure off our wildlife because animals like endangered greater gliders die when their den trees die, and they die when their home range is cleared by logging machinery. That’s one reason they are endangered, and the EPA is meant to protect the environment, not the logging industry.’
Whatever has happened to our country? Get back on your bike, government.
More madness in an ever increasingly maddened world.
It is time or should I say past time to radically change for the sake of saving the planet from catastrophe in climate change.
It is well past time for a political system that is allowing established old growth forests to be logged.
I’m not talking revolution against our politicians but serious change in the system .
If all life on earth is to survive past year 100 years we need action now ,now on near all that we do.
Jobs in logging native forests won’t be around much longer so why is this destructive of the rare remains being supported here in Australia.
I see many countries now with dictators and undemocratic situations but Australia is supposed to be still in good order politically we are all told.
I can see how countries who are being dictatored to by tryrants May decimate the natural resources for fast return .
Too much big talk on saving planet earth and very little action.
Must be greed the root of all evil as I’ve heard said so many times.
Write to politicians, maybe it may help. Standing in front of machines in the Forrest just puts one behind bars,
So,our grand children are not important to destroy our forest and animals that live there for your greed and leave nothing for them. That’s why our grand children don’t want to have their own. You have destroyed their lifes. HAPPY NOW YOU EVIL PRICKS
What a disgrace! Would our coastal MPs please have this fixed to protect these critters.
A serious question, what percentage of the 900.000 hectares of NSW public forest are the forestry corporation allowed to log?.
I used to voluntarily work with now Southern Cross Uni Assoc. Prof.. Rod Kavanagh the NSW Forestry Commission c1985-88, in the tall, mountain forests around Bombala.
Cearly the cheques board pattern is not being implemented and 1st people eg Ngarigo Monaro need to become far more actively involved.
Its great to see how our government/s work and getting their priorities spot on right, eh.
When it comes to feral pests, take your pick from Varroa, Fire Ant, Cane Toad, Fox, Horse etc, it all half hearted stuff in ‘attempting’ to stop the varmints.
But when it comes to those native treasures, like the Forests and the threatened Glider and Koala that live in those Forests, it is full speed ahead in the ForestSlaughterFest and stiff cheddar for the Glider, the Koala and all the rest that call the Forests home.
And we / NSW taxpayers pay $’smillions for the destruction. Humans really are a stupid species.
EPA…SHAME on you.
Old growth logging has been a loss making industry in all states for decades. Why do governments prop up this outdated and destructive industry-that employs a small number of people-with taxpayer funds?
Who owes who what?
Victoria and Western Australia have ended their NativeForestSlaughterFests.
NSW will follow, eventually.
But how long must it take for Premier Chris Minus to see the Trees, see the Glider, see the Koala and save all those $’staxpayers and finally act?
The EPA is a disgrace no there are no other words for them .
This is madness! Shame on you EPA! Keep up the good work Dailan and the rest of you.
What an absolute disgrace the EPA and NSW government are in relation to protecting the environment. Conservation and Australia, two words that sadly can’t be used positively in a sentence.
Our Government is a national disgrace. They certainly have no idea what they are doing. It is long overdue for our nation’s leaders to put Australia first. What a disgrace.
I’m reading this from British Columbia,Canada. Our previous NDP provincial government had recently promised to preserve Old Growth BC forests and all they do is make a mess. They cut down woodland-caribou habitat as fast as they can, while building pens to put them in to protect them from the predators that they blame for their disappearance. The hypocrisy goes on and on. Meanwhile, people blockade clear-cut logging and chain themselves to trees in a desperate attempt to save what’s left, and trek for kilometres through dense forests that have not burned for many hundreds of years, to document these giants with incredible photographs. Dense forests such as these are fireproof. They have never burned since those saplings first saw light, often 1000 years ago. It’s sickening what our gutless elected officials stand for, even though they promised otherwise. I see sugar gliders and swift parrots and burned numbats and koalas and people desparately trying to escape floods and fires in Australia’s mainland. Recently Tasmania has been in the news more too, and not always for good either. Thank god there are many who fight for wild places to stay wild, and legal teams racing to stop the crimes committed against the wild creatures and wild places. Spread the word and don’t give up. I’m as disgusted as you are. Support them however you can, because there is everything to fight for.
All you logging botherers, get over yourselves..