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Brou Lake trees cut down at camping area

Writer's picture: The BeagleThe Beagle

Walkers were mystified to discover 2 big spotted gums chainsawed down and left lying on the foreshore at Lake Brou last Tuesday.

Photo: Gillianne Tedder.

The 30 to 40 metre high trees have been cut down at the historical camping area on the north west side of the lake in the State Forest, off Tarourga Rd.

“It doesn’t make sense. Not only are these perfectly healthy trees, they haven’t even taken the wood, just left it where it all where it fell on the ground” said Gillianne Tedder.

“Forestry Corp had plans to log this area last year. But harvest plans lodged in their portal https://planportal.fcnsw.net/.showed an exclusion zone of 100 metres, right next to the lake.Since then the harvest plan has been withdrawn from the forestry portal so I can’t imagine this is the work of Forestry Corp”.

“It’s such a pity to lose trees in a special place like this.Eighty per cent of the Eurobodalla Shire was burnt in the recent bush fires according to Council. Given so much natural habitat has been lost in the fires, cutting trees down here in an unburnt healthy area surrounded by National Parks seems so wrong.”

Ms Tedder is the Vice President of local environment group Coastwatchers and recieved the information from local bushwalkers,“There’s a couple ways we could protect this forest including its addition to neighbouring Eurobodalla National Park or the creation a State Forest Flora Reserve.”she said.

“The area’s a perfect candidate for protection. It is part surrounded by Eurobodalla National Park to the north-east, east and south-east, and it forms part of the Batemans Marine Park.

Also, Lake Brou was classified as a Significant Coastal Lake in 2002 by the NSW Healthy Rivers Commission.”

“As a State Forest Flora Reserve you’d still be able to take your dog and camp here, it wouldn’t change the recreational opportunities and the bush will be able to come back.”

“Eco-tourism is a sustainable business and there’s potential right here. Visitors could drive through protected rather than logged forest to a lovely picnic spot by an idyllic coastal lake.”

“Another reason to protect LakeBrou trees is that flowering eucalypts are especially important feed trees for the Swift Parrot. “Swifties are critically endangered theres only 1200 breeding pairs left. They fly over Bass Strait from Tasmania to the mainland during the winter months to feed on our coast which is part of the Ulladulla to Merimbula Important Bird Area.”

“With all the recent bush fire devastation it’s even more crucial to retain every tree we can

in our area. There’s also plenty of Yellow Bellied Glider records in this compartment. Their numbers are decreasing and the fires would have wiped out a lot of them, meaning the remaining unburnt forests like the Lake Brou forest have become even more critical to protect.

Coastwatchers would love to hear from any locals in the Bodalla Potato Pt area who’d be interested in helping protect and advocate for the area.

If you’re interested please email Coastwatchers at contact@coastwatchers.org.au.

NOTE: Comments were TRIALED - in the end it failed as humans will be humans and it turned into a pile of merde; only contributed to by just a handful who did little to add to the conversation of the issue at hand. Anyone who would like to contribute an opinion are encouraged to send in a Letter to the Editor where it might be considered for publication

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