"360,000 m3 logged a year from southern region: The decision pre-empts the social trend towards complete transition into existing plantation stockpiles by seeking to guarrantee 20 years of logging in public forest of 90,000 m3 of sawlogs a year. Combined with the legislative model in place to repeal green laws including the Threatened Species Act and Wilderness Act this means at least 270,000m3 of woodchips a year assuming a conservative ratio of 75% chips:25% sawlog. (Around Eden the ratio is runing at 90% to 10%.) In total 360,000 m3 of intense forest destruction a year for 20 years. The extent of intensification of logging was originally underestimated as Tumut/Tumbarumba sawlog concession (including increase of 10,000 m3) was not properly factored in.

Put another way more than the whole national woodchip export level will be intensively sourced from the one southern region of NSW in the ecologically short period of only 20 years. This brings the public forest released for clearfell logging by this government to about 1 million hectares on public land in NSW in five years."

"Market forces will still close down the native forest sector: Plantation products in the existing stockpile will replace native forest logs despite extremist claims by a vocal minority of extremist loggers (Col Dorber). This means market pressure to increase clearfell woodchipping to convert complex forests to monoculture tree farms. Indeed the government maps are already now merging "hardwood plantation" with "native forest": "A regional forest agreement for Southern NSW information kit" Dept Urban Affairs & Planning.

"Carr's decision lacks scientific credibility: The so called "three years of intensive scientific process" (Carr statement page 1, second paragraph) lacks

any open scientific peer review,

any fauna studies over four seasons

any endorsement from the peak forest ecological body i.e. the National Biodiversity Council

respect for undiscovered invertebrates, frogs, medicinal plants and icon species like gliders and tiger quoll for example in the Badja Hot Spot near Cooma

context as only 5% of Australia is forested and all of it is high conservation value."

"Job losses will follow: With no vision for forest reform compared with SE Qld, Carr has ensured significant job losses in tourism and niche agriculture as water supplies are degraded by logging. Mechanisation ensures woodchipping increases with less sawlogs. New plantation jobs from the stockpile will be delayed by subsidies in native forests."

"Icon areas will still be logged: Badja Fauna Hot Spot near Cooma, Buccluech near Tumut, Deua with its mossy treeferns, Wandella link to Wadbilliga NP/Brogo Wilderness and no doubt more. New parks in sourthern are good but highly fragmented and misleading without industry reform."

"Misleading and deceptive funding claims: Carr's claim (at page 4 of his statement) "In 1995 the NSW Government introduced a $120 million Forest Industry Structural Adjustment Package in conjunction with the Commonwealth" is deceptive. $40 million of Federal money has been withdrawn. $60 million was NSW environmental project money hardly designed to prop up continued woodchipping of forests" concluded Mr McLoughlin

For comment: Tom McLoughlin 0410 558838, 02-9517 3900 Error: Unable to read footer file.