endangered species

Threat to Wildlife May Halt South Coast Project

Originally in the Sydney Morning Herald of 25 Feb 09 I am so encouraged by the news that the federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, has made a preliminary decision to reject a proposed 1200 lot estate at Jervis Bay, on the South Coast of NSW on the grounds of a certain damaging effect on wildlife that is vulnerable in the Booderee National Park. The bushland estate was found to be home to four threatened species, including the eastern bristlebird, and five migratory bird species. It comes at a perfect time just as the public comment period ends in a mere 5 days for the disastrous Kings Forest proposal for 4,500 houses on prime koala territory (see my blog titled 'Development Project Threatens Second Largest Koala Colony in Tweed Shire) and 22 endangered species of fauna, 6 species of flora and 3 ecological communities. Like the Jervis Bay proposal, the Kings Forest/Cobaki Lakes (which has the same developer, same general location, same problems with endangered species at threat etc) proposal has been contested by environmentalists for years. In fact the developer of Kings Forest/Cobaki Lakes who purchased this six years ago did so knowing that they had problems. Reading the Koala Plan of Management was so surreal for me. Unless you had a basic knowledge of koalas (which I barely have) you might be led to think that indeed everything was kosher. Removing koala trees? No worries, we will just put the koalas over in another location, as if they were mute chess pieces. Never mind the fact that koalas are extremely territorial and immediately try to come back to their old haunts even if it kills them (and it often does especially when you have not just roads but four lane boulevards in their euphemistically called 'wildlife corridors). Never mind the fact that darting and tranquillising koalas to relocate them can be fatal. Worried about road kills? No problem - they will set speed limits (50-60KPH) and erect signs and trust in driver compliance. The possibility of overpasses/underpasses and koala-proof fences is 'too difficult' or 'difficult to deploy' (not to mention horrifically expensive...). Dogs an issue with koalas? Simple. The residents will keep their dogs inside at night or tethered. Cats on site are not even mentioned - as if cats don't kill wildlife, let alone endangered wildlife! The problem with so many of these development proposals is that they probably 'look good' on paper but the fact is whenever you put human habitation on former wildlife habitat, and start chopping down trees and moving earth, wildlife are the losers. We simply cannot afford to take any more risks and threatened/vulnerable/endangered native animals must be protected AT ALL COSTS. High density housing would be a better solution (sustainably built with rainwater tanks, composting toilets, solar panels and so on) for our population problem. Otherwise if we lose biodiversity we will soon see that we cannot survive in our own anthropocentric bubble. Mr Garrett said yesterday "As the Environment Minister, my role now is to closely examine the potential impacts of this rezoning application on those listed and threatened species that exist on the site including the endangered eastern bristlebird and the vulnerable leafless tongue-orchid and the importance of the site as habitat corridor to the Booderee National Park." Garrett said he would not pre-empt his final decision, due March 9. If he rules against the rezoning to a housing estate on environmental grounds it will be a rare case where a local development was stopped due to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 whereby development would result in "significant impacts" on native animals and birds that use the national park and these impacts could not be effectively offset elsewhere. Kings Forest is hemmed in from three directions, surrounded by the ocean on one side and major highways on the other two sides leaving very little possibility of linkage to other colonies or half-way decent wildlife corridors. As with many councils, housing developments have been championed by certain pro-development councillors and that is true in Shoalhaven and Tweed. In spite of the fact that several hundred landowners will suffer economically if the rezoning doesn't go ahead in Jervis Bay, nevertheless it's time that we start to plan a future which includes our native animals. As in the song of Joni Mitchell: “They took all the trees, And put them in a tree museum Then they charged all the people A dollar and a half just to see them. They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot…” Let's hope that the Environment Minister stays on track from now on and enforces the EPBC Act on all sites where endangered species exist and that the Jervis Bay development proposal will serve as an important precedent for all developments in future.

Brown Mountain Rape

S.O.S! Longitude: 148.74495E Latitude: 37.26S. East Gippsland Victoria Australia

The logging of old growth forest at Brown Mountain has been precipitate and swift. Few Victorians would be aware of the destruction which has occurred over the past few weeks in forest wild life habitat.

Anti logging activists/environmentalists are scrambling to document the presence of an endangered crustacean in the local river and endangered glider population in an area which is now being denuded. For the logging company and the government it is best for the public to find this out in hindsight, or it is likely that clear felling would have to be reconsidered.

Activists are hoisted high in the trees

See red ring. Do you know anyone with this kind of guts and committment? Don't you think they deserve more support than the government? (Ed.)

"Activists are hoisted high in the trees," writes Jill Redwood, as she reports hastily from East Gippsland, six hours from Melbourne, where she literally has only hours to work to slow or halt further destruction of this area.

Loads of news to report - Brown Mountain (on Australia Day)

Sue Pennicuik (Greens MLC Victoria) drove up to Brown Mt to witness the destruction and breaches of the law which have been occurring. She spoke with contractors (in Stony Creek) and with protesters.

Walking into these areas, there are very strong signs of the illegal taking of burls (a commercial operation) and the illegal taking of a giant tree outside the designated logging boundary.

Endangered crayfish has been sighted

Endangered Orbost Spiny Cray (Euastacus diversus) has been discovered in Brown Mt. Creek. With this one, it's a race against time to have it recognised by the government before its habitat is logged. Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) seem more worried about whether the people who discovered it had a permit rather than if the crayfish warrants protection from bulldozers near its creek.

High populations of arboreal (tree living) mammals

High populations of arboreal (tree living) mammals have also been discovered in Brown Mt this weekend by researchers. They are there in densities which should trigger protection for the area under the Forest Management Plan prescriptions, of immediate halt to logging plans while the rich wildlife site is verified by DSE.

Greater Gliders, Yellow-bellied Gliders, and Potoroos have also been found across the track).

Many breaches constantly being discovered, according to this report:

1. bulldozing of mixed rainforest along Brown Mountain Creek in readiness to start clearfelling the adjoining stand of ancient forest.

2. contractor/logger being investigated for theft of burls.

3. Huge old tree has been felled outside the coupe boundary - illegal logging.

4. VicForests has prohibited access through the tourist road into the park for the past 3 months of holidays - with no alternative route offered. Only two days ago, after weeks of complaint, have they made a change that allows tourists into the National Park! Comment: Who owns these areas!?

5. Logging has continued against occupational health and safety regulations when members of the public are present. Worksafe is believed to be investigating.

6. Bulldozers' used oil filters left lying on the ground contaminating soil and eventually water course.

This is how the Brumby Government treats our National Heritage of ancient forests and threatened species - on Australia Day!

Members of the public can be and are charged for entering these areas to expose the illegal goings on - but no one is checking on the loggers or VicForests!

Bulldozer boundary track has been put around the adjoining stand of old growth in prep for the start of clearfelling this week!

It's one minute to midnight. Please help in whatever way you can -


* get up here to help stall the logging -
* call the Premier's office (bypass Jennings) 9651 5000 and get outraged by any of the above ...
* pass this email around to friends or any journalists you know.
* find a VIP/sports celeb etc who might like to help up the profile of this issue (cottage accommodation if they want to visit)
* there could be a new group of older women (seniors) about to start getting active. Do you know others who could join in?
* call talkback radio and speak your heart
* write short pithy letters to newspapers (dailys or metro - eastern burbs useful).
* handwrite (most influential), type or email a letter to Brumby demanding an immediate halt to such a rich area. Write to the Treasurer John Lenders (c/- Parliament House Spring St Melb) demanding VicForests be pulled into line - for economic and on the ground accountability.

"in haste ... Jill Redwood..."

Wielangta Forest is about to be logged to make paper in Japan

The case shows that Regional Forest Agreements will not protect endangered species from logging. The swift parrot feeds in woodlands from Adelaide to Toowoomba each winter. All the effort which has gone into protecting its mainland winter habitat is wasted if its breeding places in Tasmania are logged. Wielangta has the stag beetle and logging threatens the world's largest freshwater crayfish (it grows to more than six kilograms and a metre long) and the Tasmanian devil. The case should be closed! Senator Bob Brown has put his own money in this case, and so have other people, and this is deplorable when the EPBC Act should be doing the job it was designed to do i.e. protect biodiversity and old growth native forests! This area is a safe-guard buffer zone for the benefit of many species, including humans. It should automatically be protected as one of Australia's natural assets, and for future generations. Wielangta Forest is about to be logged to make paper in Japan. If, in this lucky, wealthy, democratic country, we can’t do better than that, what hope is there for the forests of Brazil, Indonesia or the Congo? On one hand we have got Malcolm Turnbull saying he wants to stop illegally logged rainforest in Indonesia, but he wants to continue with the illegal logging of forests in Tasmania. The Wielangta Forest court case has exposed the gaping hole in Australia’s environmental law which leaves forests under Regional Forest Agreements unprotected. There is no requirement for an RFA to deliver real protection for endangered species. It just needs to state that a system exists! Tokenism and lame Acts won't protect Australia's biodiversity. We are already famous as one of the greatest wildlife killers in the world! If the intent of the EPBC Act is to protect global biodiversity, it was not good enough to pay "lip-service" to it. Worldwide, deforestation is the single biggest cause of extinction. There is not a native forest logging area in Tasmania that does not harbour nationally listed species of wildlife. Excluding forests from biodiversity protection is a contradiction!

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