Our Chairman Steve Meacher has once again reminded the Premier of Victoria and the Department of Environment and Primary Industry(DEPI) that Vic Forests has paid no dividend in at least seven of the last ten years. Steve continues to compile meticulous records from all available reports issued by the government-owned native forest logging corporation which was created “to operate a responsible business that generates the best community value from the commercial management of Victoria’s State forests.” Based on their own estimates, the community is now owed $74,000,000 in outstanding dividends from forestry operations which access a public resource – our forests.
“Rusty” is the current coupe being clearfelled in the Toolangi forests – even though detailed surveys by conservationists have documented more than one hundred hollow-bearing habitat trees. This density of hollow-bearing trees should have designated this coupe as prime Leadbeater’s Possum habitat, protected from logging under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. But this coupe is not protected as the definition of “Hollow-bearing trees” in the Forest Management Plan is restricted to Mountain Ash, Alpine Ash or Shining Gum. Many of the trees that bear hollows in Rusty are Mountain Grey Gum and Messmate. These may also be used by Leadbeater’s Possum, or used as nesting sites by other species of arboreal mammals, which would reduce the competition for hollows in the other species.
In addition, we now have the latest research within regrowth forests from Professor Lindemayer and his team at ANU. Regrowth results in more trees packed more closely together. This increases the amounts of flash fuels that allow fires to build in severity. Old-growth forests usually have wet rainforest understorey canopies, which do not burn as well as the drier understorey canopies of regrowth forests. However, in the past 50 years, more than 47,000 ha of wet forest have been logged with 17,600 ha to be logged in the next five years. Shame!
The GOOD NEWS is that our joint campaign to establish a Great Forest National Park continues to gain momentum and support. All thanks to all those involved with activities that focus attention on the overwhelming scientific research supporting their commitment.