North East Forest Alliance
MEDIA RELEASE 11/2/2013
Conservation groups have established a Save Your National Parks website to provide information on north east NSW parks proposed for logging: http://saveparks.com.au/
The North East Forest Alliance is disappointed that the elected members for the Northern Rivers refused requests to express their support for retaining national parks in response to proposals to open them up for logging.
NEFA spokesperson, Dailan Pugh, said that having already voted to allow recreational shooters into most of our national parks it seems the Northern Rivers’ State elected representatives are going to stand aside again and allow them to be given to the loggers.
“The Forest Products Association are asking for over a million hectares of north-east NSW’s National Parks, Nature Reserves and State Conservation Areas to be made available for logging. So far they have identified over 100,000 hectares of 43 specific reserves they want revoked.
“In the Northern Rivers the loggers have so far singled out 12 reserves they want to be wholly or partially revoked for logging: Wollumbin, Mebbin, Nightcap, Goonengerry, Guy Fawkes River, Chaelundi, and Nymboi-Binderay National Parks, and Wollumbin, Whian Whian , Bungawalbin, Butterleaf, and Chaelundi State Conservation Areas.
“The O’Farrell Government is currently assessing the timber resources in these reserves with a view to opening them up for logging.
“These reserves encompass core habitat for an array of threatened plants and animals, rare ecosystems, rainforests of world heritage value, exceptional oldgrowth forests, and part of a wilderness. The loggers are also seeking the removal of protections for numerous stands of oldgrowth on state forests throughout the region.
“In mid December NEFA wrote to the four local members for the Northern Rivers, asking them if they support logging within, or revocation for logging of, any National Parks, Nature Reserves or State Conservation Areas on the far North Coast of NSW.
“NEFA told them that we intended to publicise their responses to their electors on the grounds that they have a right to know the position of their elected representatives.
“None of the four State members for the Northern Rivers indicated that they would oppose logging of national parks. Don Page replied that he had forwarded our request for his opinion to the Minister for the Environment Robyn Parker. This is the same Environment Minister who repeatedly refused to rule out allowing logging in national parks during a budget estimates hearing. She has not replied.
“Thomas George responded that until the Government considers an inter-departmental committee review into the timber supply situation on the north coast he is ‘not in a position to speculate on what those options might be or even speculate on what subsequent decisions might be made’.
“Christopher Gulaptis and Geoff Provest did not respond.
“We need local members who are prepared to stand up for the north coast and not stand aside while our national parks are given to the shooters and loggers. The electors of the Northern Rivers must assume that the Government members for Lismore, Clarence, Tweed and Ballina have no intention to stand up for the local national parks that this community had to struggle for decades to protect.
“If the Northern Rivers community wants to keep its national parks they are first going to have to convince their elected representatives that their jobs depend on not supporting proposals to log them” Mr. Pugh said.
Black Bulga State Conservation Area, Bongil Bongil National Park (part), Bungawalbin State Conservation Area (part), Butterleaf State Conservation Area, Chaelundi National Park (part), Chaelundi State Conservation Area (part), Columbey National Park, Copeland Tops State Conservation Area, Dorrigo National Park (part), Ghin-Doo-Ee National Park (part), Gir-um-bit National Park, Gir-um-bit State Conservation Area, Goonengerry National Park, Gumbaynggirr State Conservation Area, Guy Fawkes River National Park (part), Hunter Estuary National Park, Jilliby State Conservation Area, Karuah National Park, Karuah Nature Reserve (part), Lake Innes State Conservation Area, Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area (part), Mebbin National Park (part), Medowie Nature Reserve, Medowie State Conservation Area (part), Myall Lakes National Park (part), Nightcap National Park (part), Nowendoc National Park (part), Nymboi-Binderay National Park (part), Sugarloaf State Conservation Area, Queens Lake Nature Reserve (part), Queens Lake State Conservation Area, Sherwood Nature Reserve (part), Sugarloaf State Conservation Area, Tilligerry National Park, Tilligerry Nature Reserve (part), Tilligerry State Conservation Area, Tomaree National Park (part), Tuggalo Creek Nature Reserve, Watagans National Park, Werakata State Conservation Area, Whian Whian State Conservation Area, Wollumbin National Park, Wollumbin State Conservation Area.
Should any Northern Rivers voter wish to express an objection to this proposal then their MP may be contacted at the following:
The Hon. Thomas George, MP
55 Carrington Street
LISMORE NSW 2480
Should any Northern Rivers voter wish to express an objection to this proposal then their MP may be contacted at the following:
The Hon. Thomas George, MP
55 Carrington Street
LISMORE NSW 2480
The Hon. Thomas George, MP
PO Box 52
Lismore NSW 2480
P (02) 6621 3624
F (02) 6622 1403
E lismore@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Mr Christopher Gulaptis, MP
11 Prince Street
GRAFTON NSW 2460
P(02) 6642 7574
F(02) 6642 7574
E clarence@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Mr Geoff Provest, MP
103 Minjungbal Drive
TWEED HEADS SOUTH NSW 2486
P (07) 5523 4816
F (07) 5523 4817
E tweed@parliament.nsw.gov.au
The Hon. Donald Page, MP
Shop 1
7 Moon Street
BALLINA NSW 2478
Postal
The Hon. Donald Page, MP
PO Box 1018
BALLINA NSW 2478
P (02) 6686 7522
F (02) 6686 7470
E ballina@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Minister for Local Government, and Minister for the North Coast
Level 33 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
P (02) 9228 3403 F (02) 9228 3442
E office@page.minister.nsw.gov.au
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