Remaining high conservation value forests in East Gippsland that are outside existing National Parks are being clear felled, burnt and decimated for export woodchips. The shaky economics of this industry run amok (Amiss, 25/11) is clearly no justification for the continued pillaging of ancient forest ecosystems.
Unfortunately, the Referred Forest Agreement (RFA) process that is currently underway is doing nothing to address this situation. The 'special protection' afforded by RFA status provides no guarantees that forests will not be destroyed at a later date. The only real protection is to include areas of high-conservation forest in National Parks. The RFA process is costing taxpayers millions of dollars. If a desirable conservation outcome is not delivered, then the whole process will be an expensive failure.
Many forests in East Gippsland are worthy of inclusion in National Parks due to their extensive natural and intrinsic values. Areas such as Ellery Creek, Yalmy River, Goolengook and the Betka River/Wingan River area deserve immediate protection. Threatened species in these forests such as Owls, Tiger Quolls and Long-Footed Potoroos, are at risk due to inadequate management plans. Expanded National Parks would protect habitat and offer plants and animals a real chance of survival if they are large and contiguous. Fragmented, small protection zones are not adequate.
Plantations already supply the bulk of our timber and paper needs. They can therefore completely replace the need for native forest logging. The Howard Government will have no environmental credibility if it does not protect East Gippsland forests now - current clearing rates will destroy forests areas at risk within two years. The sad and simple fact is that forests do not grow back to a balanced mature state after they have been clear-felled and burnt, as a high proportion of biodiversity is destroyed by this process.