Murray River Rescue Betrayed by Clearfelling - 11 May 2006

Greens MLC Ian Cohen today said that clearfelling of Red Gum forests near the banks of the Murray River by Forests NSW shows that the NSW government is not committed to saving the Murray.

“I find it astonishing that an agency of the state government would clearfell large areas of wetland forest near the banks of the river at a time when the federal government has allocated $500 million to improve the environmental health of the Murray.” Mr Cohen said.

“Today in Question Time I asked Minister Macdonald if he would ask that some of the federal government’s rescue package for the ailing Murray River be used to rescue River Red Gums from Forests NSW. The Minister acknowledged the problem and said his department would look into it.” Mr Cohen said.

“Conservation groups have found a series of large clearfell operations, including one 200 metres by 120 metres in size, close to the banks of the Murray near Tooleybuc in the Balranald area.

“It needs to be recognised that rescuing the Murray is not only about water flows – terrestrial management of the surrounding ecosystems is equally important. Destruction of Red Gum forests will do nothing to improve water quality.

“River Red Gum forests are already under serious threat due to the lack of environmental flows in the Murray and tributaries, with large areas of forest dead and dying. Adding clearfelling to the equation could be the death knell of these majestic wetland forests.

“I call on the Government to save the River Red Gums by creating a linked system of National Parks along the Murray and its tributaries.” Mr Cohen said.