In response to the story Forest fire heightens residents’ fears (CCN 420) I wish to reassure the community that State forests are managed responsibly in line with strict regulations, with protection of forests and communities from the risk of fire a top priority.
Forestry Corporation is a firefighting authority and manages both fire hazard reduction and primary response to fires in the region’s State forests in collaboration with the NSW Rural Fire Service.
All firefighting authorities work collaboratively to assess and address bushfire risk across the landscape through Bush Fire Management Committees, of which Forestry Corporation is a member.
In the Hunter and Central Coast region, Forestry Corporation’s workforce includes 31 trained and skilled firefighters who manage fire mitigation and response across the region, supported by a fleet of specialist firefighting equipment including 19 light firefighting units, two tankers and a range of heavy machinery and equipment.
Community members contacted Forestry Corporation with concerns about fire hazards in a recently harvested part of Ourimbah State Forest, and both Forestry Corporation and the NSW Rural Fire Services investigated the potential fire hazard and confirmed the land does not present a significant bushfire threat at this point in time.
We take our fire management obligations seriously and will continue working throughout the Summer to rapidly detect and respond to fires in the region.
Ourimbah State Forest has been continually harvested for timber and regrown over more than 100 years and every area that is harvested is regrown again for the future.
Qualified and experienced ecologists and forest technicians conduct extensive surveys in every hectare of the harvest area to specifically search for and protect threatened species and on average about 40 per cent of each harvest area is protected for conservation.
Operations are independently audited for compliance in accordance with NSW’s strict native forest regulations and Forestry Corporation is certified to the Australian Standard for Sustainable Forest Management, Responsible Wood.
I encourage any interested community members to visit our website for detailed information about our operations: https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/operations/about-our-harvesting-operations/native-forestry.
Email, Dec 15
James Jaggers, Area Manager, Forestry Corporation of NSW