River Red Gums - Keneally should break from unsustainable past - 23 February 2010

Premier Keneally is yet to commit to her pledge of late last year to implement the key findings of the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) report and protect the River Red Gums. The release of the Natural Resources Commission report into the River Red Gums prompted Greens MP Ian Cohen to refer Forestry Minister Ian Macdonald, and Forests NSW, to the Auditor General for their unsustainable management of the Red Gum forests.

“Now would be a good time for the Premier to show leadership and break with the State Labor Government’s mistakes of the past,” says Ian Cohen. “Minister Macdonald has previously claimed Forests NSW management of River Red Gums is consistent with world class environmental practice. It is inconceivable that logging - 70% beyond sustainable levels - in an internationally significant wetland meets such a standard.”

“There are very grave questions about the legality of River Red Gum logging operations by Forests NSW under both State and Federal environment laws. “

“Forest growth rates have been in decline due to the effects of reduced flooding on River Red Gum wetlands. Reduced flooding has resulted in major water stress and increased mortality in River Red Gum forests. Numerous studies of River Red Gum over the last seven years have recorded that more than 75% of trees are stressed or dying.”

“Forests NSW, with the blessing of Minister Macdonald, continued to log at a ‘business as usual’ rate in the face of an increasingly stressed system. Instead of independently assessing and restricting timber supply to sustainable levels, Forests NSW has severely damaged Red Gum systems to falsely inflate their bottom line and meet unsustainable demands.”

“The Auditor General can put a price tag on Forests NSW’s 20 years of unsustainable logging. Industry restructuring packages should take account of the need for Forests NSW and the Minister to make environmental reparations for their actions.”

“Premier Keneally could seize the opportunity and act to redress the damage of the past. It would deliver a win for the State’s environmental heritage to protect the River Red Gums in perpetuity.”