An East Gippsland valley being logged was a unique self-contained wilderness
that should be part of a national park, Dr lan Lunt, a scientist, said
yesterday. Dr Lunt said the Goolengook area had not been incorporated into
nearby national parks because of its high value timber. Prelirninary studies
had highlighted the need for a national park in the area more than 10 years
ago, he said. Dr Lunt said two other scientists who had left the Public
Service since doing a flora and fauna survey for the State Government in
1991 had also condemned the logging. "On the basis of the information that
we gathered you'd be hard pressed to justify the present logging activity."
The area had one of the most diverse ranges of significant values, including
slender tree ferns, sooty owls and tiger quolls, he said. The Goolengook
area was an entire sub-catchment of old growth forest, involving a valley
ringed by hills which had never been logged. Many species would be endangered
by the logging, he said.