Plundering public forests costs us dearly
Only radical commentators with a personal economic agenda can deny that man-made climate change is happening.
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One of the major tools to reduce atmospheric pollution is to have a healthy natural environment. It is therefore paramount that the existing forest in Australia is maintained and enhanced.
We can no longer allow the timber industry access to the public forest at the cost to the wellbeing of all living beings, including mankind.
The hardwood timber industry has had sufficient warning over many decades that to maintain this industry they must establish plantations and grow the trees and not rely on subsidised timber from the public forest.
We don't allow or subsidise potato growers on public land so why do the timber industry think that they have a "God given right" to harvest in the public domain?
I understand that removing the subsidy and the access to the public forest will initially lead to job losses in the industry.
That is not the first time that an industry has faced closure, it happens all the time in the mining industry and we have seen the motor vehicle industry disappear in Australia and the work force transition into other jobs.
The nation Australia has to face reality. Either we change our way to a sustainable society or we suffer the consequence of the present policy of "she will be right mate".
And while I am at it, when are we going to have a population policy in Australia?
Leif Nielsen Lemke
Thora
Darcey's chainsaw
In reference to Darcy Browning's 'Reckless Behaviour' letter (Courier-Sun, Aug 21), I feel that the moment Darcy started up a chainsaw in the main street of Bellingen, on a busy Saturday morning, to threaten the Mayor while he was sitting having a coffee, he instantly forfeited any ability to comment on what amounts to "outrageous behaviour".
Darcy's inability to see himself as anything but an expert on all things related to forests and life really is tedious and outdated. It is quite clear to most people who live outside of his narrow and shortsighted view of the world that the publicly owned forests are much more valuable to our community and future generations if they're left standing.
Molly King
Bellingen
An anxious wait
Logging the extreme slopes with fragile soils in the Kalang headwaters near Bellingen is insane!
We are finding more and more threatened and vulnerable species as we bring in the experts. As well as the large colony of koalas found, there is also the milky silkpod, the scrub turpentine and rose myrtle plus the rufous scrub bird, a species Australia has been asked by United Nations to protect. Also endangered are the spotted tailed quoll, the glossy black cockatoo, and many more.
It is an anxious vigil, as we wait for forestry contractors to move in with their industrial scale forest harvesters. On Forestry documents, 90 per cent of the harvest plan is on slopes of maximum grade. In 1992, logging, in the same forest on lesser slopes, resulted in the documentation of over 88,000 tonnes of soil eroding into the creeks and river. Major siltation, loss of water quality and flow will mean the death of a multitude of aquatic species.
This will mean extinction on many levels. The upper Kalang River will go underground. Weeds will grow on the denuded slopes, as soils will be too thin to support forests. Bell miners are likely to move in, spreading disease further into the remaining forests.
Please visit the 'Kalang River and Forest Alliance' and act. We need to stop this before it becomes an ecological disaster. The precious little remaining forest is worth far more to us all, economically and environmentally, left in the ground!
Cris Taylor, Kalang
Fundraiser
Thank you Bellingen! What an amazing night it was at the Memorial Hall on August 17. We raised a substantial amount for the Kalang River Forest Alliance to help protect the Kalang headwaters. Many local businesses supported our raffle, others provided food for the food hall and some contributed to both. Many fine local performers gave their passionate best to an enthralled audience.There were nine acts on the night with great music, singing, poetry and informative and inspiring talks.
The dining area transformed into a food court with delicious donated delights and a dedicated team on their feet all night serving the multitudes who just kept pouring in.The crew on stage and production went above and beyond the call of duty to pull off one of the best shows Bellingen has seen all year. Many thanks to all the amazing volunteers.A great team effort. We would especially like to thank all the businesses and individuals who contributed to the night with stunning prizes and wonderful food.The funds raised will go a long way towards protecting these precious headwaters for future generations.
Louise Cranny, Kalang
Taking action
Parts of northern NSW are burning out of control, up to a dozen regional towns could run out of water in the next six to twelve months and our farmers are suffering through an unprecedented drought. Is this our new normal? Our planet has already warmed 1 degree and 1.5 degrees is locked in. To prevent it getting hotter we need to get our governments to take urgent action to reduce our carbon emissions and leave coal in the ground. Australia contributes to 7 per cent of all carbon emissions, which is significant. People power is the only way we can stop this. Get informed and learn how you can support our kids and take part in the September 20 Global Climate Strike, Bellingen Memorial Hall, Wednesday 28 August, 6:30 - 8pm.
Gabi Curwood, Gleniffer
What Darcey overlooks
It's all well and good for Darcey Browning to smugly support the planned logging of the Kalang River headwaters ('Fact before fiction', Courier-Sun, August 14), for he is on the Bellinger, which is adequately protected by not one but three national parks and a nature reserve. The Kalang has no such protection. I suspect that Darcey's views would be completely different if it was HIS water under threat. When, as a result of the logging, the Kalang is reduced to a series of toxic, silted up, algae-choked puddles unfit for drinking, bathing or swimming, will Darcey be there to help us? No, he will not.
He tries to downplay the potential disaster by describing the targeted area as a mere 'pinprick'. This is blatant falsehood for a start. Six thousand hectares or 15,000 acres is a large slab of ground by any measure and particularly so in this case, given the relatively limited size of the Kalang catchment to begin with.
Another factor Darcey overlooks or ignores is that much of the middle and lower catchment has already been trashed by excessive logging, the original cover of luxuriant ancient rainforest and giant hardwoods altered to one of small to medium hardwoods and weeds. During dry spells, these replacement 'forests' provide little or no water to the system, so it is really only the relatively intact upper catchment keeping the river running, and now Darcey and the Forestry Corporation want to take that away as well.
Does it strike anyone else as odd that while much time, money. effort and concern is being directed towards the plight of the Bellinger River turtles, Forestry Corp is intending to degrade or destroy dozens of kilometres of prime turtle habitat on the Kalang? Not to mention all the other animals that will be killed or displaced by the proposed operations: wallabies, quolls, koalas, possums, lyrebirds, gliders, etc.
Another thing that demonstrates the double standards rife through this issue is an advertisement currently showing on TV. This ad threatens the public with a $2000 fine if they are caught dumping rubbish in the bush on the grounds that it can 'spread weeds in our native bushland'.
While this may be fair enough, the other side of the coin is that Forestry Corp is allowed to smash this self-same native bushland to smithereens with impunity. Then they erect signs near the devastation, signs proclaiming 'Your forests are in safe hands'. Forestry Corp can be neither believed nor trusted to properly manage our public forests. The place is heating up and drying out, trees are dying en masse on the Tablelands and streams are disappearing; and Darcey's and Forestry's response? Smash down more old-growth forests and ruin more rivers. This madness must be stopped at once if we are to have any kind of future at all.
P Miethke, Kalang
Kalang Headwater
It's inconceivable that logging is imminent for 16 compartments within the Kalang River headwaters; a native forest with the most erodible soil in NSW, steep slopes and adjacent streams / river; a forest full of native species including owls, koalas and the spotted quoll. Contrary to the beliefs of Forestry, their methods of logging do not support the native wildlife and those populations of wildlife are not thriving. Forestry's confidence in their practices can't be substantiated due to ongoing breaches identified decade after decade. Just because there's been 'selective harvesting' carried out up there before (with destructive outcomes) doesn't mean it's appropriate to continue the practice. How can it be that the laws pertaining to logging favour Forestry Corp and those multinational companies who purchase the timber? These laws appear to only benefit the selfish and greedy. Please be aware of the companies in which your superannuation is being invested and if you invest in the stock market please be vigilant that you aren't investing in companies which profit from logging the Kalang headwaters.The native forest belongs to all of us. The water belongs to all of us. Good, hard-working citizens, who care deeply about Mother Earth are backed into a corner and legitimate feelings of anger and frustration erupt as they're forced to blockade to protect their forest. Please support the campaign and The Great Koala National Park.
Kathryn Edmunds, Bellingen