Forest defenders and activists have blockaded the entrance to the Forestry Corporation's headquarters in Pennant Hills this morning in response to a decision by the Land and Environment Court (LEC) that ruled that logging plans do not need to comply with ecologically sustainable forest management. The actions of the Forestry Corporation are directly driving the extinction crisis. The community sought to stop this in the Courts, but the Courts can't help when the rules that were set in the 1990's don't work. The forests and the communities seeking to protect them need a political solution and they are calling on Premier Chris Minns.
Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said "The action taken in the LEC by the North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) to try and protect koala habitat in the Myrtle and Braemar State Forests was an important step to attempt to use the law to get better outcomes for threatened species, particularly koalas,"
"The ruling by the court has laid bare the inadequacies of the law where logging can directly exacerbate the local and statewide extinction of koalas and yet still be apparently compliant with the logging approvals,"
"Activists have this morning taken direct action at the Forestry Corporation headquarters because they are directly responsible for the dangerous and damaging logging of our public forest that are vital refuges for koalas. It is devastating for communities who know and witness the harm that is happening in our public native forests."
"Leading koala expert Dr Steve Phillips gave evidence to the Court that the logging in Braemar and Myrtle State Forests in the state's north east is contributing to the decline of koalas in the area and could lead to local extinction. The ruling that this is lawful logging is a crystal clear demonstration of how the current laws are failing to protect critical habitat and arrest extinction,"
"The forestry Corporation has an obligation to manage the public forest estate sustainably, but they simply aren't. They are relying on weak and outdated laws that are facilitating the degradation and destruction of forests across NSW,"
"The approvals that are currently driving koalas and other forest dependent threatened species, like the Greater Glider, to extinction are controlled by the government and they must act urgently to curb the extinction logging that the Forestry Corporation are engaging in,"
"Native forests in NSW are suffering at the hands of weak protections, inadequate laws and a Government bereft of courage. The courage of the community to take action as needed and to raise awareness about the parlous state of native forests in NSW is incredibly important and vital to ensure that we have forests still standing for the future," Ms Higginson said.
For comment contact Sue Higginson: 0428 227 363
