2024-05-15
Logging operations have been brought to a stand still in Sheas Nob Rock State Forest today as community members take action to regulate the non-compliant Forestry Corporation by issuing a citizen stop work order. The NSW Environment Protection Authority received reports of 188 breaches by the Forestry Corporation across 9 forests 2 weeks ago and failed to issue stop work orders while the breaches were investigated.
The community actions have occurred as the NSW Parliament prepares to debate a motion from Greens MP Sue Higginsoncalling for the Government to ensure that the EPA is regulating logging and to stop all logging while investigations are undertaken.
Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said “The community have stepped into the regulatory void left by Premier Chris Minns and the NSW EPA. Unlawful logging operations have been stopped for today, but could restart as early as tomorrow,”
“The EPA have had these breach reports which identify some 188 breaches of Greater Glider protection rules, for 2 weeks without taking action as the regulator for native forest logging, and the community is rightly fed up with waiting,”
“The logging rules that have been breached were only introduced 3 months ago, and were meant to better protect endangered Greater Gliders and their den trees. These protections were agreed to by the Forestry Corporation, but they are already cutting down native forests with blatant disregard for the law,”
“The NSW Parliament will be debating these breaches and the need to stop logging until, at a bare minimum, investigations are undertaken and legal obligations are being adhered to. It is likely that Premier Minns’ Labor Government will vote with the Liberals to allow this unlawful environmental vandalism to continue,”
“Chris Minns has a responsibility to resolve the ongoing conflicts in his Cabinet between the Minister for Agriculture and the Minister for the Environment, he has failed to do this so far. Every day that native forest logging is allowed to continue under NSW Labor, is another political failure by Chris Minns,” Ms Higginson said.