Battle for south coast forests heats up

Forest campaigners have engaged in a series of actions on the New South Wales south coast, protesting against alleged illegal logging of old-growth forests in the area.

Lisa Stone, spokesperson for South East Forest Rescue, told AAP on January 21: "Recent audits have exposed illegal logging of rainforest, land registered on the National Estate, endangered ecological communities, a gazetted Aboriginal Place and rocky outcrops. We have proven systemic re-occurring breaches on the south coast that show a pattern of non-compliance to the law."

Activists twice blocked the road into the Eden woodchip mill owned by South East Fibre Exports on January 17 and 19, ABC News said on January 19.

Stone said in a statement that the Eden mill consumed 95% of the wood taken from native forests in the region.

Four people were arrested after locking-on to equipment at the woodchip mill on January 21, the Narooma News said on January 26.

Activists occupied the roof of the Batemans Bay office of Forests NSW on January 24. They wrapped the building in “crime scene” tape and raised a banner identifying Forests NSW as “Carbon Criminals”.

The activists demanded Forests NSW provide proof of any native forest areas on the south coast being logged. Forest NSW staff conceded sustainable yield documents had not been done, ABC News said on January 25.

They also demanded Forests NSW use accurate figures to calculate its real carbon debt.

“Forests NSW call their logging ‘carbon neutral’ but the science clearly demonstrates logging and burning forests leads to more emissions than the most intensive energy sources,” Stone said.

“Our forests are being destroyed for the profit of one company,” she told Narooma News on January 26.

Narooma News said South East Fibre Exports woodchip mill, owned by Japanese multinational Nippon Paper Group, made a $3.8 million profit last financial year. Yet, its main supplier, the NSW government-owned Forests NSW, lost $232 million after tax.

The protests coincided with the release of a study that said the NSW government had mistakenly allowed illegal logging in old growth forests for years, the Sydney Morning Herald said on January 21.

The study said up to 8500 hectares of protected forests may have been approved for logging in the past few years.