Concerned members of forest defense groups including Forest Defence NSW, South East Forest Rescue and the Bob Brown Foundation have taken action this morning. They strategically blocked the main access road leading to the Forestry Corporation headquarters in Pennant Hills, Sydney. Their aim is to raise awareness and advocate for the end to public native forest logging in NSW in order to protect our threatened and endangered species. The access road into the Forestry headquarters has been blocked by a human padlock, sending a strong message to the corporation and NSW government.
Sue Higginson, Greens MP and spokesperson of the environment said, "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."
Last week, the Forestry Corporation received another Stop Work Order due to their failure to identify Greater Glider den trees on the south coast in Flat Rock State Forest. This incident has shed light on the significant shortcomings of the Forestry Corporation in safeguarding our threatened species, raising concerns about their reliability in managing our forests effectively.
Dr Lisa Searle has attached herself to the gate, preventing access to the site. "The destruction of Australia's remaining native forests has to stop. Threatened and endangered species like the Greater Glider and the iconic Koala are being pushed further and further to the brink of extinction every day, at the hands of FCNSW and the government. The hour is later than we think, and we have to stop this industry for good, before these and other species are lost forever." Dr Searle said.
Yesterday, The Land and Environment Court rejected an application to stop logging in two bushfire affected forests in north-east NSW. The devastating Black Summer bushfires resulted in significant damage to the Braemar and Myrtle state forests, which serve as crucial habitats for koalas. As a direct consequence of the bushfires, the population of koalas in the area has plummeted by 70 percent. Furthermore, research has indicated that logging activities in these forests possess the potential to completely eradicate the species in this particular region.
We strongly urge Chris Minns and the NSW government to thoroughly examine the evidence and take immediate action to halt the ongoing destruction of our environment, along with the detrimental impact it is having on our threatened and endangered species.
"Our forests are worth so much more than wood chips and low value products like firewood, pallets and fence posts. The laws around logging and our environment are broken and failing and the Minns Labor Government knows it." stated Sue Higginson
"I am facing arrest today for standing up for our precious native forests," said Dr Searle. "This is a small price to pay to give a voice to these creatures who desperately need our help. We will continue taking action against native forest logging for as long as it takes to stop this industry and give these forests the protection they so desperately need." She concluded.
