While many were lauding last week’s announcement by NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe that ‘Koala Hubs’ inside the proposed Great Koala National Park (GKNP), would not be logged, local conservationists were dismayed at the flip side of the announcement, that logging in the rest of the area Labor has been promising to protect for almost a decade, will continue until the end of 2024.

“The North Coast Environment Council and our member groups in the area of the GKNP are extremely concerned that what the Environment Minister appears to be saying is logging will continue, at the same intensity, for at least another year, while ‘assessments’ are done,” said NCEC Vice-President Susie Russell. 

Koala seen in Diehappy State Forest being planned for logging and not protected by the NSW Government’s announcement.

At its recent General Meeting, the North Coast Environment Council (NCEC) were honoured to present their prestigious ‘TOGA’ (Triumph Over Greed Award) to John Edwards and the Clarence Environment Centre (CEC) for their work in exposing a number of serious breaches of environmental legislation associated with exploration licenses for copper mining at Cangai near Jackadgery in the Clarence catchment.

As a result of the work of CEC, the NSW Resources Regulator has suspended all operations on two exploration licences held by mining companies Total Mineral Pty Ltd and Total Iron Pty Ltd. Exploration Licences 8625 and 8635 were being operated by Castillo Copper Limited, about 45km northwest of Grafton.

John Edwards and wife Patricia, receive the TOGA on behalf of Clarence Environment Centre.

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information show the NSW Government ignored the advice of its own koala experts when selecting its so-called koala reserves.

“Now we know that the Government had maps of where the koalas actually are... they called them Koala Hubs... and deliberately chose not to protect those areas,” said NCEC Vice-President Susie Russell.

“The failure of today's deal by the Liberal-National Coalition and the ALP on a Renewable Energy Target to exclude native forests from being fed into power stations is a major blow for both the genuine renewable energy industry and the future health of our region's forests” said NCEC spokesperson Susie Russell.

Media Release 1/6/2018

North East Forest Alliance

North Coast Environment Council

Public Meeting on Logging Changes

The North East Forest Alliance, North Coast Environment Council and local groups are hosting a series of public meetings to inform the community about the New South Wales and Commonwealth Government's proposals to change the rules governing logging of public lands to remove protections for most threatened species, open up protected oldgrowth forest for logging, allow intensified logging, establish a clearfelling zone, and reduce buffers on headwater streams.

Real Public Consultation on Weakened Logging Rules

Gov't -nil Conservationists -7

The North Coast Environment Council has accused the NSW Government of trying to keep the public in the dark and attract as little attention as possible for its proposals for public forests to increase logging intensity, zone 140,000 hectares for clearfelling, remove the need to look for and protect most threatened species before logging, reduce stream buffers and open oldgrowth forest up for logging.

“The Government is trying to hide their intent by holding NO public consultations. So the NCEC, North East Forest Alliance and local conservation groups are collaborating in organising public meetings across the region to explain what is proposed to interested community members.

“The first meeting will be on Wednesday May 30, in Port Macquarie at 6.30pm at the CWA Rooms at 11 Horton St.,” said Susie Russell, NCEC Vice-President.

“In the weeks that follow, there will be meetings in Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Kyogle, Byron Bay, Murwillumbah and Nimbin.

New 'Reserves' = Less protected areas, more intensive logging and

$$$ to logging corporations

The North Coast Environment Council said it is alarmed that the State Government had declared another 18,000 ha of State Forest is to become reserves, and calls on Environment Minister Upton to immediately rule out opening up currently protected areas to be logged.

“If it was any other Government we'd be over the moon, but we know this is a trick. What hasn't been announced are which areas of protected forest will be made available for logging, what new logging rules, and how much money from the Environment funds will be thrown at the logging companies to sweeten the deal,” said NCEC Vice-President Susie Russell.

One of the species that will be hit hard by logging protected stream  buffers is the Fleay's Barred Frog