LOCAL conservation group, Gippsland Forest Guardians (GFG), is calling on Hancock Victorian Plantations Pty Ltd (HVP) to release its harvest plan for ‘Fellas Coupe’ at Turtons Creek.
Under Freedom of Information laws the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner decided in favour of releasing the Fellas Coupe Timber Harvest Plan to the Gippsland Forest Guardians but HVP have now appealed to VCAT to stop the release of the documents, according to a spokesperson for GFG, Stuart Inchley.
“We have requested the Timber Harvest Plan to see whether adequate measures have been put in place to protect endangered species such as the critically endangered Slender Tree-fern and areas of cool temperate rainforest,” said Mr Inchley.
“We are also interested to learn what surveying has been done to identify other threatened species such as the Strzelecki burrowing crayfish, Pilotbird, Gang-gang cockatoo and Powerful owl, some of the threatened species recorded in the area.
“HVP is operating on our crown land in this coupe and management decisions made by HVP today could negatively affect our region’s biodiversity forever,” he said.
Speaking to the Sentinel-Times this week, Mr Inchley said there were four Trust for Nature properties of about 850 acres, including his own 300-acre property, adjoining the crown land being logged by HPV with up to 200 of the critically endangered Slender Ferns.
“We’ve previously visited the crown land area where HPV is working with a conservation ecologist and a representative of the shire, with HPV agreement, and I counted 70 Slender Tree Ferns.
“They’ve cut about half of the Fellas Coupe, within 20 metres of the ferns when they really need to be leaving 200 metres, as has been the practice in the Central Highlands.
“We’re hoping to protect what’s left.
“The other problem is they are going to plant pines where they’ve taken out the Mountain Ask and Bluegum that belong here.
“Together with an estimated 100 Slender Tree Ferns in the Turtons Creek Scenic Reserve, this would easily be the most significant stand of Slender Tree Ferns in Australia.
“We believe the community has a right to know what is being planned for our public land,” he said.
According to Mr Inchley, timber harvest plans are required to be submitted to the local council who is responsible for regulating plantations and ensuring forestry operations comply with the timber code of practice.
“The code states that a timber harvest plan must include details such as biodiversity impact, mapping of high conservation areas, measures to protect relevant environmental and cultural heritage values, and methods to minimise impacts on water quality and river health from timber harvesting.
“The Gippsland Forest Guardians are seeking to see the plan to ensure these protections are being adequately addressed. We believe there should be transparency around forestry on our Crown land.”
The group asked South Gippsland Shire Council CEO Kerryn Ellis to respond:
“While I am regretfully not able to comment in detail on the specifics of this matter as it is the subject of current legal proceedings, Council remains committed to protecting our natural environment through the avenues at our disposal”.
Anthony Amis from Friend of the Earth said it should not be this hard to get information the public was entitled to see.
“This decision will be an important one for other community and conservation groups who are looking to get access to information about forestry operating on our public land,” Mr Amis said.
“It should not have to come to this. HVP are supposedly certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, who like to boast that certified forests are managed to strict environmental and social standards. This dispute proves that the complete opposite is true.”
The Gippsland Forest Guardians have been joined as a party by VCAT in order to support the Information Commissioners’ decision to release the document. The directions hearing is being held on Thursday, November 7.
Hancock Victorian Plantations have been contacted for comment.
