NORTH EAST FOREST ALLIANCE (NEFA)
MEDIA RELEASE
October 9 2019
The
Busbys Flat fire south of Casino has burnt through one of the most important
Koala colonies on the north-coast in Braemar, Carwong and Royal Camp State
Forests, according to the North East Forest Alliance.
NEFA
estimate that some 350-700 Koalas inhabit these State Forests, with many likely
to have been directly affected by fire and smoke, and many more affected by the
loss of browse, according to NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh.
"The
most urgent need is for a search and rescue operation for fire affected Koalas.
"Koalas
were already suffering from the drought, and are now likely to have been
significantly impacted by these fires. It will take years for Koalas to
recover.
"NEFA
calls upon the NSW Government to abandon its imminent plans to log some of the
best Koala habitat in Braemar State Forest. The resident Koalas are likely to
have been severely affected by the fire, and suitable browse will be in short
supply for months to come, the last thing they need is for the Forestry
Corporation to log their surviving feed trees.
"The
Environment Protection Authority undertook systematic Koala surveys in Royal
Camp and Carwong State Forests in 2015, surely the first step needs to be to
reassess those areas to identify how this population has been affected.
"NEFA
has also amassed abundant data on Braemar's Koalas to contribute to any
post-fire review.
"The
danger is that if the Forestry Corporation blunders in there now it could be
the death knell of this nationally significant Koala population", Mr. Pugh
said.
