TIMBER OUTRAGE

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TIMBER OUTRAGE

VICFORESTS still intends to log approximately 50 hectares of Mirboo North forest despite community opposition.
A large portion of the Mirboo North community strongly opposed VicForests proposal to clear fell Mirboo North forest.
Around 374 people posed their concerned questions and comments to VicForests general manager stakeholders and planning officer Lachlan Spencer at the Mirboo North Hall on Thursday, September 14.
VicRoads still plan to clear fell three coups of remnant native forest identified to VicForests as the Oscine, Doug and Samson coupes.
“This is a very extensive project that we are undertaking in good faith,” Eastern Victoria Region MLC Harriet Shing said.
“What I will do now is have a discussion with minister Lily D’Ambrosio next week. I’ll take the motion along which has been drafted and distributed by Coal and Coal Seam Gas Free Mirboo North group member Marg Thomas and what I’ll do is provide a report back on that motion.
“Our next steps as far as the government position on this, we will continue to work through the VicForests engagement.”
Member of the Mirboo North Wednesday Warriors Grant O’Neill said the meeting went very well and the community certainly got its message across.
The next step for the Mirboo North community is to elect a steering committee of people opposing to the proposal.
“The committee will fend off any degradation of any of our bushland around Mirboo North,” Mr O’Neill said.
“The group will have to see if they can get any financial assistance to conduct a survey.”
The survey will find all of the living creatures and plants that are currently living in the coupes targeted for logging, as well as trees and plants.
“We’ve got people coming forward who want to be part of the committee. We’re just putting names together now and next week we will announce the members.
“These were the only untouched areas during the bushfires; these coupes have been responsible for repopulating everything because it’s unburnt.
“We went spotlighting through all of the proposed logging coupes and we found a Greater Glider which hasn’t been spotted since 2012.”
Mr O’Neill said the committee and community will have enough evidence that VicForests will be fools to even attempt clear felling the areas.
South Gippsland Shire Council deputy mayor Cr Maxine Kiel said she will give a report to council before taking further action.
Mr Spencer said that VicForests openly encourages input from the public into its operations.
“We look forward to working together with the local Mirboo North community and developing our plans in a way that incorporates their feedback,” he said.
Mr Spencer said no harvesting will be taking place before June 2018.
“The meeting was organised in order to give us an idea of what things are most important to the community in the areas we plan to harvest and how we can work together to develop plans that balance the competing needs of all of our stakeholders,” he said.
“VicForests undertakes a multi layered forest management planning process prior to any timber harvesting operation.
“This takes into consideration a range of issues relating to the community, environment, government, and economy and timber industry.
“We welcome the community to continue the discussion with VicForests and we are happy to meet with the committee proposed by the community at the meeting to work through the various themes raised.”
All VicForests proposed and approved operations can be viewed online via an interactive online mapping system.

Residents say no: from left, Mardan and Mirboo North Landcare Group members, Jenny Morrison, Helen Hasty, Graeme Trease, Ian Hasty, Rosemary Trease and Suzanne Wightman opposed VicForests proposal to clear felling bushland in Mirboo North at a meeting held in the Mirboo North Shire Hall on Thursday night.

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Posted by on Sep 19 2017. 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

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