Recent on-ground community checks in the Styx State Forest in Northern NSW reveal that the area has already been logged by Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW), despite the absence of a valid Broad Area Habitat Search (BAHS) within the required six-month window prior to operations.
Under Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (CIFOA), FCNSW is obligated to conduct BAHS to identify and protect critical habitat features, including those of threatened species such as the Greater Glider.
The Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC), and the South East Forest Rescue (SEFR) and North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) have exposed the failure of FCNSW to conduct the legally required habitat surveys before logging operations and for again cutting corners and apparently breaching species protection laws as a result.
‘Logging without proper habitat surveys is not just irresponsible – it’s illegal,’ said Jacqui Mumford, CEO of Nature Conservation Council NSW.
‘Forestry Corporation is entrusted with managing our public forests sustainably. Instead, they are putting vulnerable species and ecosystems at risk by cutting corners.’
Maps from 2024 and 2025 show a significant reduction in survey effort in 2025 compared to the previous year. This decline raises serious concerns about the adequacy of habitat assessments and the potential destruction of unrecorded habitat trees. The available 2025 BAHS data indicates incomplete or insufficient coverage, directly contravening CIFOA’s precautionary requirements.
Community members also flagged two nearby areas as areas of concern, where 2025 BAHS efforts appear similarly inadequate. While these areas are yet to be logged, the lack of updated survey data suggests a pattern of non-compliance that could extend across multiple compartments.
Community can take legal action
This incident comes on the heels of a landmark High Court ruling in Forestry Corporation of NSW v South East Forest Rescue, which affirmed the right of community and environmental groups to take legal action to enforce logging laws in NSW.
The case arose after SEFR exposed FCNSW practice of conducting pre-logging surveys for nocturnal species like the Greater Glider during daylight hours, rendering them ineffective. The High Court upheld that groups with a ‘special interest’ in environmental protection can bring proceedings to ensure compliance with the Forestry Act and CIFOA conditions.
‘This ruling is a game-changer,’ said Scott Daines from South East Forest Rescue.
‘It confirms that communities have the legal standing to hold Forestry Corporation accountable when the government fails to act. The situation in the Styx State Forest is exactly the kind of breach this ruling was meant to highlight.’
The NCC, SEFR and NEFA call upon the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to launch an immediate investigation and enforce compliance with CIFOA conditions, including the requirement under Condition 57 to conduct timely and comprehensive habitat searches.
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