Forest fighters remain vigilant

TURMOIL continues over proposed logging of three coupes by State Government owned business, VicForest, in Mirboo North.
Chair of Preserve our Forests Steering Committee (PoFSC), Marg Thomas, said that in May 2018, Preserve our Forests was advised VicForest could be logging in Mirboo North in autumn this year.
She said that was the understanding she, the committee and the wider community had.
“We now understand that VicForest does not intend to log in Mirboo North this year, although that could change according to Alex Messina, VicForest’s general manager of corporate affairs. There seems little concern from Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning or the minister’s office that the Mirboo North community would like some definitive direction on this,” Ms Thomas said.
“Our community would appreciate knowing when logging is scheduled instead of this obfuscation.”
According to the committee, they and the community have been left in the dark as to when logging will go ahead, and the general plans of VicForest.
“We’ve received a lot of vague statements from VicForest,” Ms Thomas said.
“No commitment leaves the community on edge as to when logging may occur. It’s not fair. There is no reason for no formal announcement.
“If we could be certain it wasn’t happening, we could take some time off from it, but we have to remain vigilant.”
VicForest interpreted events differently.
Corporate affairs general manager Alex Messina said from VicForests’ perspective there has been no change.
“We said, as a matter of comfort, we wouldn’t do anything before autumn this year,” Mr Messina said.
He advised the three coupes remain as potential coupes and are constantly been assessed for harvest, however there was no foreseeable date of harvest as of yet.
“Preserve Our Forests has unfortunately chosen not to communicate with us.” Mr Messina said, referring to PoFSC’s earlier vote to conclude talks with VicForest.
“However, when we would consider harvesting, we would reinstate consultation with Preserve our Forests and the wider community.”
According to VicForest, South Gippsland Shire Council has maintained communication and interest, and as a result is informed about VicForests’ plans.
“We’ve changed our position radically from our initial compliance approach,” Mr Messina said.
VicForest responded to PoFSC’s request for options of different harvesting levels with a few possible alternatives. Among these options was a light touch approach which would mean a thinning and forest retention method instead of a clear-felling process.
Mr Messina said coupes Doug and Sampson will retain 60 to 70 percent of forest when harvested by only logging one to three trees out of every five. This would ensure a continuous canopy for animals and leave a better aesthetic finish.
“We are happy and willing to talk to Preserve Our Forests when they are ready,” Mr Messina said.
While communication is at a standstill between PoFSC and VicForests, talks have begun between the government and PoFSC, when the group met with Lily D’Ambrosio, the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, on February 7 to present its latest research findings.
“These findings demonstrated the uniqueness of our district and the detrimental effect logging in any form in these native forests would have; in particular on tourism, the flora and fauna within the coupes and the potential effect on our water catchment,” Mrs Thomas said.
PoFSC’s biodiversity studies within the coupes and the socio-economic survey they had carefully researched were presented, allowing the committee to address several issues.
These included the protection of remaining forests for the genetically unique South Gippsland Koala; threatened species that exist in small isolated pockets of the already depleted Strzelecki Bioregion and the lack of mandatory protections for the threatened Greater Glider in this region, among other concerns.
POFSC asked that these areas in question be rezoned into special protection zones with a view to lifting their status to a conservation or nature reserve.
The minister agreed to have discussions with Jaclyn Symes, Minister for Agriculture, Regional Development and Resources, in regards to POFSC’s concerns as well as agreeing to pass on to her a hard copy petition of the 673 local signatures against logging.
Ms D’Ambrosio stated she recognised and was supportive of concerns raised by POFSC, and indicated the government will investigate what is possible in extending protection.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Feb 26 2019. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry