The winner of tomorrow’s state elections must refuse to hand over any wood from the red gum forests of NSW to a massive railway sleeper project in Victoria, said Greens MP and environment spokesperson Ian Cohen.
The announcement of a massive project to upgrade the Mildura railway line would see 300,000 sleepers sourced from river red gums from NSW and Victoria.
“There is no need in this day and age to be using river red gums for sleepers. Concrete is a suitable alternative, while recycled plastic is even better.” Mr Cohen said.
“The NSW government must commit to preserving our majestic river red gum forests, which are already stressed and in danger of dying due to drought and decades of mismanagement. Allowing our public state forests to be destroyed for railway sleepers would be an abhorrent act on the part of the government.”
“It is imperative that immediately after the election the government of NSW puts in place a moratorium of high conservation value red gum forests, as well as implementing an assessment of river red gums with the view to protecting extensive areas of these forests.
“I will be writing to the Victorian government in the strongest possible terms to reconsider using red gum forests for this project and finding an alternative sustainable product for the railway upgrade.
“Destroying these magnificent forests which are already under threat from a lack of water and mismanagement would be an absolute crime.
“The Greens support the creation of a River Red Gum National Park along the Murray River and its tributaries. “ Mr Cohen said.
No comments:
Post a Comment