Twenty conservationists have today stopped logging in a contentious coupe on the Errinundra Plateau. The 20 hectare coupe is in the Bonang River catchment, the same area as Victoria's largest tree, which was discovered less than two months ago by conservationists. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) does not know the exact whereabouts of this tree, which has a circumference of 17 metres, yet despite this are allowing logging to continue.

"Trees of this size are part of our national heritage. After thirty years of clearfell logging, there are very few stands of trees this size left. It is more crucial now than ever before that they be left standing." said spokesperson for the conservationists, Stephanie Conway.

Work by two logging crews has been delayed while the group also investigates buffers around areas of rainforest contained in the coupe. The area is National Estate and contains a sub class of rainforest, which is a protected ecosystem that requires a forty-metre buffer at the very least. This concern is consistent with last month’s findings by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that rated rainforest buffer compliance in East Gippsland at 56%, the lowest in the state.

"Foresters whose responsibility it is to mark out these areas for logging have had minimal, or in some cases no training in the identification of high conservation areas such as rainforest. While the recent EPA audit of the 'forest code of practice' officially recognized these problems, until these elements of forestry management are dealt with and adequately trained personnel employed, it seems our endangered ecosystems will continue to be logged," continued Ms Conway.

For further comment:
Stephanie Conway
Goongerah Environment Centre
0351540156

A logging operation on the Errinundra Plateau, taking place behind locked gates, has been found to be in a biologically contentious area. The 20ha logging coupe is in one of the last unprotected stands of massive trees on the mainland. It is in the same catchment as Victoria's largest tree, whose circumference measures greater than 16 metres. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), who are authorising the logging operation, do not know of the exact whereabouts of this huge tree, yet are allowing logging to occur in the area.

"The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) claim they have nothing to hide, yet they bring in two logging crews to rapidly clearfell this contentious coupe, three years earlier than it was scheduled to be logged. If there is nothing to hide, why does the logging operation take place behind huge locked gates? Is it perhaps to prevent the public from seeing the size of the trees being felled in this area?" said spokesperson for the Goongerah Environment Centre, Rena Gaborov.

The area situated in the Bonang River catchment is National Estate and contains mixed forest, a sub class of rainforest, which is a protected ecosystem that requires a forty-metre buffer at the very least. However these buffers do not exist. Sadly, this is consistent with last months findings by the Environmental Protection Agency that rated rainforest buffer compliance in East Gippsland at 56%, the lowest in the state.

"Foresters whose responsibility it is to mark out these areas for logging have had minimal, or in some cases no training in the identification of high conservation areas such as mixed or rainforest. While the recent EPA audit of the 'forest code of practice' officially recognized these problems, until these elements of forestry management are dealt with and adequately trained personnel employed it seems our endangered ecosystems will continue to be logged," stated Ms Gabarov.

"Trees of this size are part of our national heritage. After thirty years of clearfell logging, there are very few stands of trees this size left. It is more crucial now than ever before that they be left standing," she concluded.

For further comment:
Rena Gaborov
03 51548587
Goongerah Environment Centre
www.geco.org.au