Native forest logging has been brought to a halt in the Flat Rock State Forest on the South Coast after forest defenders intervened to stop the Forestry Corporation from logging habitat of the endangered Southern Greater Glider. Forestry Corporation failed to find any greater glider den trees before they started logging but citizen scientists identified at least one den tree at dusk last night and also heard calls from an adult and baby Masked Owl. The community have acted to stop logging in this compartment from continuing and an activist is currently in a tree sit that is tied off to the logging machines.
Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said "Once again, it appears the Forestry Corporation have failed to adequately survey threatened species habitat before starting logging. This is a breach of their operating approval and the logging is unlawful without adequate surveys,
"Earlier this year, the Environment Protection Authority issued a stop work order in Tallaganda State Forest for exactly the same issue and Forestry Corporation have continued to flout the rules and engage in this extinction logging,
"I have notified the EPA again about this situation. Flat Rock State Forest is home to many nocturnal threatened species but Forestry Corporation do not conduct pre-logging surveys at night and so don't record vital habitat trees before they send their industrial scale machines in,
"The Government knows that this is happening, but the Forestry Corporation keeps destroying native forests while the Government hesitates. The Government must urgently issue a stop work order for Flat Rock and ensure that the Forestry Corporation are meeting their legal obligations to not log threatened species habitat. Anything less is a political failure by the Minns Government,
"The community that have intervened in Flat Rock today are heroes, they are acting in all of our interests and protecting threatened species from extinction. They are part of the enormous movement across the State calling for an end to logging the public forest estate in NSW, as has happened in WA and VIC.
"The NSW Government should immediately intervene to permanently stop the logging of native forests and the rules that govern logging should be urgently reviewed to pull the Forestry Corporation into line. Until they do so it would appear communities will continue to take non-violent direct action to protect our public forests. There is growing unrest because many thought the Minns Labor Government would do more to protect the environment."
