As protests mount around the proposed logging of Mogo State Forests the reality of any international commitment by Australia to halting deforestation at the Glasgow talks needs to be implemented locally as one third of the Eurobodalla is State Forest. Prime Minister Morrison was expected to speak at the launch of a new global commitment to halting deforestation by 2030, a commitment that Australia did sign on to, but instead he opted to commence his journey back to Australia early. Will Mogo be logged before the mountain bike project begins?
Eurobodalla Greens are demanding an immediate end to all logging of Mogo State Forest so that the forest landscape can recover and be managed as a world-class mountain bike facility. Local Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, himself a mountain biker and proud supporter of the Mogo Adventure Trails Hub is one of the cabinet ministers sitting on a report into the future of native forest logging in NSW by the Natural Resources Commission. The Beagle has been told by activist groups that “Ït is understood this report could be recommending the phasing out of native forest logging in the state." "Why else is it classified as cabinet– in-confidence?
"If FCNSW reserve the right to “harvest” the landscape at any time (and they do have the “right”) then any millions of dollars poured into infrastructure for mountain biking then not only is it money down the drain but also a substantial slap in the face for the locals of Mogo (and Eurobodalla) trying restore the economy devastated by fire and now Covid.
"Let’s not forget the Narooma Adventure Trails Hub also planned for State Forest land ( Bodalla State Forest) also the recipient of millions of dollars where FCNSW also reserves the right to “harvest” at any time. The only difference between the Narooma and Mogo projects is that the logging in Mogo is current and imminent."
"This is a classic clash of land management values where a gutless State Government is lagging behind community expectations. An increasingly environmentally aware public supports the transition of the management of these precious ecosystems away from logging in favour of nature based tourism."
In April Andrew Constance called for Forestry Corporation to be disbanded?
Justin Field, Independent Member for the South Coast asked "What might that mean?" saying:
"The reality is that it is less important what organisational structure the manager of our state forests has and more important what we do with our forests.
Forestry Corporation is what is known as a state owned corporation. It is run as a corporation with a board and CEO and the shareholders are the Treasurer and Finance Minister. It is required under its mandate to make a profit and pay a dividend to the Government.
In practice, Forestry Corporation takes a lot of direction from John Barilaro as Forestry Minister and his Department of Regional NSW. It receives regular Government Grants to fulfil its 'community service obligations' which include management of roads inside the forests, fire management, management of non-harvestable areas of forest etc. After the Black Summer fires, Forestry Corporation has forecast losses over the next four years and has indicated it also won't pay dividends to the Government over that time. This amounts to over $100 million in foregone revenue for the Government on top of additional grants.
The reality is that we - the taxpayers - pay for the privilege of having our native forests chopped down and the corporatised structure of Forestry Corporation is used as a shield by Governments to avoid transparency and hide behind commercial agreements to supply timber.
Should Forestry Corporation be disbanded? Absolutely it should. But we must also exit logging of public native forests and repurpose these areas as ecological and recreational reserves. Areas of high ecological importance should be managed by National Parks and the remaining areas managed as recreational reserves with joint management under a new public forest service with a combination of local council, community and Indigenous control.
The laws governing the management of these forests should not prioritise timber resources but prioritise the ecological, recreational and carbon value of these forests. Their management could be funded from the carbon value of these regrowing forests and small scale commercial development that would support their recreational use.
With a little bit of imagination we could create such an exciting future for our forests that goes well past just disbanding the Forestry Corporation."
Nationally Bob Brown has called out the PM Morrison’s signature on the COP26 declaration on deforestation calling it a ‘forest fraud.’
“The PM is trying to deceive the public by signing up to a declaration he knows will do nothing to protect Australia’s native forests from industrial logging,” Bob Brown.
“In fact, the Prime Minister and the logging industry are already spinning the declaration as permitting an increase in logging in Australia because our logging is ‘sustainable' compared with elsewhere in the world. There is no mention of biodiversity or species extinction. This declaration has tricky and deceptive language that is designed to mislead people,” Jenny Weber.
“Morrison’s government and the logging barons are gloating that they can use this declaration as cover to continue demolishing native forests as the planet is heating,” Jenny Weber.
“Limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires fast climate action and deep emissions cuts that can only be achieved by tough actions in all sectors. Action is needed to lock in an immediate end to forest loss across Australia. The world’s forests serve as irreplaceable carbon sinks and biodiversity refuges, but, when logged and burnt, emit megatonnes of greenhouse gases.,” Jenny Weber.
“COP 26 is headed for a massive disappointment for the people of the world. We are in an existential crisis, where humans are using almost two planets worth of living resources on a finite Earth. Here in Australia, we will keep taking action for the immediate end to native forest logging and deforestation alongside our fellow citizens who are standing up to halt fossil fuel expansion,” Bob Brown.
