More Forest Conflict as Community Stand Up to Forestry Corporation over Orara East State Forest
Logging machinery has entered Orara East State Forest, within the Minns Labor Government’s promised and long awaited Great Koala National Park. In a powerful act of protest, locals mobilised to protect the forest and its endangered wildlife from harm. The local community have committed to fight to protect Orara East State Forest from logging, saying the damage will be too much and too costly. There are calls on Premier Chris Minns to intervene to spare Orara East from logging.
Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said “What a kick in the guts for the community around Orara East State Forest to have your Government promise on the one hand to protect the forest you love, but then to watch the machines roll in to destroy it by logging first”,
“The local community yesterday took action to try to stop the machinery moving into Orara East State Forest. They intercepted it and temporarily halted the movement of that machinery. The police arrived, the community moved on, no arrests were made, but the community staunchly resolved to return, saying they will not stand by and watch the destruction of this forest”,
“Local grandfather Peter Elzer was part of the effort to stop the logging machinery from entering the forest. Peter recently did a 12-day hunger strike for forests in Macquarie Street on the doorsteps of Parliament House. I saw him there everyday in his brave bid to convince the Minns Labor Government to make good on their promise to establish the Great Koala National Park. The Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe spoke with Mr Elzer outside of the Parliament and said that his hunger strike was not necessary because the Great Koala National Park is “very close”. The deception and betrayal is sickening,”
“Orara East State Forest is a crucial ecological corridor between Bucca State Forest in the north and Ulidarra National Park in the south. The preservation and health of this corridor is essential for species movement and climate resilience and is essential to the integrity of the Great Koala National Park. The community have stood firm in it’s defence, holding regular vigils to voice their concerns over any proposed logging. Now, it seems Premier Minns and NSW Labor have once again turned their backs on the community and are pushing ahead with their extinction logging agenda ”
“Orara East State Forest is home to a globally significant koala population, making its protection essential to the genuine conservation of the species in the promised Great Koala National Park. It is home to some 44 known threatened species, including many hollow-dependent arboreal mammals,”
“Last night I wrote to the Premier, the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Agriculture calling on them to stop any logging in Orara East State Forest and warned them of the likely conflict that will now take place because the community will not silently witness the extinction logging take place”.