The NSW
Government is in the process of changing the broad suite of legislation which
protects the natural environment. While this presents an opportunity to improve
environmental protection, it also presents an opportunity for the Government to
weaken it.
One area
of particular concern for environment groups is changes to the rules governing
logging operations, changes which will seriously weaken protection for koalas.
These new Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (IFOAs) being written by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be available for public consultation
early this year.
Koalas
in this state are already in serious trouble – a situation which resulted in
the listing of the species as vulnerable under the federal EPBC Act in 2012.
The new
IFOAs plan to replace on-ground surveys with habitat models to streamline
pre-logging koala surveys.
Dr Oisin
Sweeney, Science Officer with the NSW National Parks Association, said, “The
experts that reviewed the EPAs models found that they can’t predict the
occurrence of koalas because they don’t take into account either the social
nature of koalas or past disturbance.”
“Basically
koalas, like humans, like to stay close to their families. These social ties mean that habitat is not
the sole driver of koala occurrence. The
models don’t consider past disturbance either: intensive logging and fires
leave a legacy which affects whether koalas will use an area.”
Dr
Sweeney is also concerned that the EPA has not analysed the effect of the
current regulations on koala populations. “It is
extraordinary that despite huge documented declines in koala populations across
the NSW coast, the EPA would consider weakening logging regulations without knowing
what the current ones do.”
The
North Coast Environment Council’s Susie Russell is scathing about the proposed
changes.
Ms
Russell said, “This is pretending to look for koalas, not looking for
koalas. And we know from past experience
in Royal Camp [State Forest] that if you don’t look you don’t find and if you
don’t find you don’t protect.”
Questions
obviously need to be asked about why the EPA, which does not have a good record
with forestry compliance, is weakening koala protection.
-
Leonie Blain
This post originally appeared in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on 11 January 2016.
