Members of the community group Camp Ourimbah are calling for an end to logging in Ourimbah State Forest.
They gathered outside the office of Member for Wyong and Minister for the Central Coast David Harris on July 26 to voice their concerns.
Forestry Corporation NSW began logging the forest on July 12, triggering a groundswell of opposition from locals, amid fears for the area’s koala population.
“Currently Forestry Corporation is logging 350 acres of bushland,” a spokesperson said.
“Their entire plan encompasses an area of over 2000 acres.
“As our State member, David Harris could table a motion to stop the logging immediately.”
Horticulturist and native forest nursery owner Deirdrie Jinks said there were koalas in the forest, despite Forestry Corporation survey findings.
“After the Black Summer fires, koalas and other animals moved east to escape the inferno, and now live in the forest, seeking refuge in this sanctuary,” she said.
“We do not know how old Forestry Corporation’s surveys are, but certainly koalas would have migrated into unburnt forest such as Ourimbah after the fires.”
Group members say the forest also acts as a fire break, with its rainforest protecting a population of close to half a million people on the Central Coast.
“Logging will cause the forest to dry up and will remove this barrier,” a spokesperson said.
“Additionally, there is very little usable timber in (the forest) and it is mainly being used for pulp.
“They are killing our forests for pulp and we are paying for it.
“This is because as taxpayers we are subsidising this corporation to the tune of about $20M per year.
“Environment Minister Penny Sharpe refuses to impose a moratorium on logging operations in spite of the fact that targeted compartments in 20 state forests with koala hubs are destined to be harvested; a moratorium could be declared overnight.”
The spokesperson said failure to protect koala habitat was a backflip on a pre-election promise from the State Government.
“To think this species could well disappear in my lifetime, facilitated by people who promised us otherwise, is both a tragedy and a disgrace,” the spokesperson said.
Resident Catrina Sturmberg said piles of logs left behind create a “catastrophic fire risk”.
Minister for the Central Coast David Harris said Forestry Corporation of NSW has been appointed to manage State forests for a range of values including protection of cultural heritage, environmental conservation, tourism, and renewable timber production.
“Ourimbah State Forest has one of the oldest histories of routine timber harvesting in Australia and is a regrowth forest that has been harvested sustainably and regrown for over 150 years,” he said.
“Operations in native forests are always selective, with many trees set aside and the harvested area is regrown after every operation.
“Forestry Corporation must comply with detailed rules that are in place to protect koalas and other wildlife and their habitat and operations are independently audited by the Environment Protection Authority.”
Further information is available on the Forestry Corporation website at https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/operations/about-our-harvesting-operations/ourimbah-harvesting-and-regenerating
Terry Collins