The New South Wales South Coast Forests Campaign
6/5/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: The New South Wales South Coast Forests Campaign
Source: Friends of the Earth Sydney
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: June 5, 1999
The South Coast Forests cover the NSW South Coast from north of Nowra
to south of Narooma, and inland almost to Queanbeyan.
Within the forest, coastal, heath and aquatic environments of the
South Coast are over 400 species of native mammals, birds, reptiles
and amphibians. These represent 20%, or one-fifth, of Australia's
native total non-fish vertebrate native species (mammals, birds,
reptiles and amphibians). Included are 270 birds (36% of Australia's
birds), 72 mammals (27% of Australia's mammals), 40 reptiles (5% of
Australia's reptiles) and 22 frogs (11% of Australia's frogs). There
may be many species occurring in the South Coast which have not yet
been discovered and could be added to this list.
Sixty of these species are listed as threatened by the NSW Threatened
Species Conservation Act. This is 15% of the total known native
species. The list includes endangered species like the Eastern Bristlebird,
Broad-headed Snake, Southern Brown Bandicoot, Green and Golden Bell
Frog, Smoky Mouse, Hooded Plover and Regent Honeyeater.
The South Coast forests also contain majestic old-growth forests with
trees over 10 stories high and over 10 metres in girth; rainforests
with trees potentially thousands of years old; and magnificent
wilderness areas loved by bushwalkers across the State.
The South East Forest Alliance has identified 14 of the most
important of these largely forested areas which are still unprotected
in the South Coast Forests. These 14 areas are the 'Reserve Proposal
Areas' of the South East Forest Alliance for the South Coast Forests.
SEFA is campaigning to have these areas protected as National Park,
to form the basis of a Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative
forest reserve system under the NSW Comprehensive Regional
Assessments process. If this South Coast Forests campaign is not
successful, most of these areas will end up being intensively logged
and woodchipped for the next 20 years.
Some facts about each of the 14 Reserve Proposal Areas are detailed
below:
Badja
Badja covers most of Badja State Forest and part of Tallaganda State
Forest. Badja lies between Deua and Wadbilliga National Parks,
around 40m east of Cooma.
Badja contains a large area of Identified Wilderness - it is part of
the Deua Wilderness and the Tuross Wilderness, both determined by the
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Badja is a biodiversity hot spot - it contains at least 11 threatened
fauna species - the Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Olive Whistler, Powerful
Owl, Masked Owl, Sooty Owl, Yellow-bellied glider, Squirrel Glider,
Golden-tipped Bat, Great Pippistrelle, and the Long-nosed Potoroo
Badja joins the Deua and Wadbilliga National Parks - it is essential
to the reserve design for a National Park system for the Southern
Forests.
Badja contains the highest Tiger Quoll numbers in the Region - a top
expert on quolls, Chris Belcher, has said it contain the largest
population of Tiger Quolls in New South Wales
Badja contains tall wet old-growth forest, rainforest, and natural
peat bogs - Badja Swamp is the largest peat bog in New South Wales
Badja is essential to achieve JANIS scientific targets for a
Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative reserve system. Ten
forest ecosystem targets, eight old-growth forest targets, and the
targets for the Greater Glider and Brush-tailed Phascogale, can be
fully met by reserving this area. The vast majority of Tiger Quoll
records and 45% of the Tiger Quoll target can also be met.
Bimberamala
(Upper Clyde)
Bimberamala covers the upper catchment of the Bimberamala river,
which lies inland from Batemans Bay. It forms part of Currowan State
Forest.
Bimberamala is the upper catchment for the Clyde River, the only
river left in NSW which flows uninterrupted from its source to the
sea. Protecting the upper catchment for the Clyde River is important
for maintaining its exceptional quality, and scientific and
environmental value.
Bimberamala adjoins and flows out of the Budawangs Wilderness, in the
Morton National Park. It is important for increasing the size and
viability of this thin southern stretch of the Morton National Park.
Bimberamala contains almost 3,000 hectares of old-growth forest,
according to the NSW and Commonwealth Governments' Interim Assessment
Process. At 29% of its area, this is around twice the regional
average.
Bimberamala is important for achieving JANIS scientific targets for a
Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative reserve system. It is
important for three different types of rainforest, and is the only
place to make a major contribution to rainforest ecosystem 81
(achieving 47% of its target on State Forest estate). It provides
for the entire old-growth forest target for old-growth forest
ecosystem 11 and 74% of old-growth forest ecosystem 150. It gives an
enormous contribution to the target for the threatened Sooty Owl, and
almost 50% of the target for the threatened Stuttering Barred Frog.
Bimberamala contains a record of the threatened Koala.
Bimberamala contains two forest reserves, a testament to its already
recognised high conservation values. These reserves - Wallaby Forest
Preserve and Lyons Creek Forest Preserve - are not formal reserves,
and so do not offer secure protection; reservation of Bimberamala
would secure their future.
Greater Conjola
Greater Conjola stretches from the Budawangs Wilderness in Morton
National Park to the coastline south of Jervis Bay. It covers all of
Conjola State Forest and Swan Lake, all of Jerrawangala State Forest,
and parts of McDonald and Yerriyong State Forests.
Greater Conjola is a biodiversity hot spot. It contains nearly 500
documented plant species, 185 bird species, 27 mammal species, and 44
orchid species in its eastern end alone.
Greater Conjola contains a massive 22 threatened species. Under the
NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act (1995), it contains 4
Schedule 1 species (Endangered) and 18 Schedule 2 species
(Vulnerable). Endangered species are the Regent Honeyeter, Green and
Golden Bell Frog, Southern Brown Bandicoot, and Hooded Plover.
Greater Conjola would stretch from the mountains to the sea. It
would join the small coastal Conjola and Cudmirrah National Parks, to
the inland Morton National Park and the Budawangs Wilderness. Such
mountain to coast links are of great importance to the long-term
conservation of ecosystems and species in the face of changing
climatic conditions.
Greater Conjola would protect a truly magnificent stretch of
coastline. Greater Conjola would also protect the sensitive coastal lakes of
Swan Lake, Monument Lagoon and Lake Conjola.
Greater Conjola is required for a CAR reserve system, fulfilling many
JANIS scientific values. It contributes significantly to rainforest
ecosystem 67, forest ecosystems 22 and 24, old-growth ecosystems 41,
47, 50, 62, 63, 67 and 149, and fauna targets for the Powerful,
Masked and Sooty Owls, Yellow-bellied Glider and Brush-tailed
Phascogale.
Croobyar
Croobyar borders the Morton National Park and Budawangs Wilderness,
within a few kilometres of the famous Pigeon House Mountain. It lies
just inland from Milton and Ulladulla.
Croobyar is a near-coastal old-growth forest and rainforest adjoining
the Budawangs Wilderness and Morton National Park. It contains
diverse rainforest, and old-growth forest dominated by gigantic
Turpentine trees which may reach 1,000 years old.
Croobyar is an important Aboriginal place; Mt Kingiman is a
traditional meeting place for the region's tribes. Croobyar remains
an area of substantial spiritual importance to the Aboriginal
community.
Croobyar was entirely deferred from logging after the Interim
Assessment Process in recognition of its conservation values.
Croobyar is a high biodiversity area, and contains such threatened
species as the Powerful Owl, Masked Owl, Sooty Owl, and Yellow-
bellied Glider.
Croobyar has values required in a CAR reserve system. It contributes
significantly to JANIS scientific targets for forest ecosystems 50,
62 and 83, and meets 50% of the target for two rare plants.
Croobyar used to contain a large area which was added to the
Budawangs Wilderness and Morton National Park in 1996. The rest of
Croobyar contains similar or even greater values, and is divided from
the Budawangs Wilderness only by a small fire trail.
Croobyar is an area of high community concern. It held a blockade of
logging operations which was successful in halting logging in the
area and which made front page news in the Sydney Morning Herald just
before the last State Election. From the Croobyar campaign was
formed the local community group Shoalhaven Forest Watch, a member
group of the South East Forest Alliance.
Croobyar has enormous value for tourism. Lying within 10km of the
coast, and beneath the famous Pigeon House Mountain on the edge of
the Budawangs, it is highly favourably placed for tourism and
recreation.
Greater Deua
Greater Deua covers much of Dampier State Forest and part of
Mungerarie State Forest, inland from Moruya.
Greater Deua is entirely Wilderness. Greater Deua is almost
completely covered by nominated wilderness, and is substantially
covered by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Identified
Deua Wilderness, covering the catchments of the Upper Deua River,
Georges Creek and Donalds Creek.
Greater Deua contains thousands of hectares of tall, wet, fertile
old-growth forest. This type of ecosystem is of enormous value for
conserving ecological processes and viable populations of many
species, and acting as a refuge to flora and fauna in times of
environmental fluctuation or catastrophe.
Greater Deua contains the most extensive areas of Pinkwood rainforest
in existence. It also contains the second largest contiguous area of
rainforest on the South Coast.
Greater Deua harbours 9 threatened species, including the nationally
threatened Australian Grayling. Other threatened species are the
Stuttering Barred Frog, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Powerful Owl, Masked
Owl, Sooty Owl, Olive Whistler, Tiger Quoll, White-footed Dunnart and
Yellow-bellied Glider.
Greater Deua has important JANIS scientific values for a CAR reserve
system. It contributes the largest amount of any area for achieving
targets for rainforest ecosystems 79 and 83, forest ecosystem 151,
old-growth forest ecosystem 151, and is the only place to find forest
ecosystem 7, which it fully meets. Greater Deua also makes a very
significant contribution to the target for Tiger Quolls, achieving
44% of it.
Dignams Creek
Dignams Creek is a section of Bodalla State Forest near Tilba and Mt
Dromedary.
Dignams Creek is crucial for a Comprehensive, Adequate and
Representative reserve system. It is required for its contributions
to, or achievement of, several JANIS scientific criteria - almost the
entire area contributes significantly to forest ecosystem or old-
growth targets. The most significant contributions are to forest
ecosystems 14 (70% of target), 42 (100% of target) and 152 (for which
it is the largest contributor of any proposed National Park), and
old-growth ecosystems 14 and 42 (for which it is also the largest
contributor of any proposed National Park).
Dignams Creek was almost entirely deferred in the Interim Assessment
Process in recognition of these high JANIS values, or has been placed
at the end of the harvesting schedule because of its high
conservation values.
Dignams Creek is likely to be a very significant area for the
threatened koala, after a number of koala sightings have been
recorded in the area.
Dignams Creek is an area of high local community concern and value.
Dignams Creek protects the upper catchment of Dignams Creek, an
important local community water supply.
Ettrema Wilderness
Ettrema Wilderness covers the assessed but not declared wilderness
areas in large areas of vacant crown land and some State Forest
around the northern and north-eastern end of Morton National Park.
Parts of Wingello and Meryla State Forests near Moss Vale are
included.
Ettrema Wilderness is the identified extension to the Ettrema
Wilderness in Morton National Park. Much of it was identified as
Provisionally Identified Wilderness under the Interim Assessment
Process, meaning that it fits the Commonwealth assessment as National
Wilderness Inventory level 12 Wilderness.
Ettrema Wilderness is almost entirely on Vacant Crown Land, and so
would have no effect on the forestry sector. The small area on State
Forest tenure is not open to logging, after the local mill closed for
resource reasons.
All areas of State Forest in Ettrema Wilderness were deferred in
recognition of their JANIS scientific values, in the Interim
Assessment Process.
Ettrema Wilderness, in the eastern Yalwal section, contains the
Danjera and Hell Hole Creeks, which fill the important water supply
of Danjera Dam at Yalwal.
Ettrema Wilderness in the eastern Yalwal section is an area of
cliffs, plateaus, and heath forests of great aesthetic value and
natural quality normally associated with National Park, such as the
Blue Mountains and Budawang National Parks.
The Five Lakes
The Five Lakes covers five coastal lakes and the surrounding forests
and beaches along the coastline between Ulladulla and Bawley Point.
It covers vacant crown land and Termeil and Woodburn State Forests.
The Five Lakes is largely classified as "Coastal Zone" by the NSW
Coastal Policy 1997.
The Five Lakes protects all or part of the natural environments for
five coastal lakes. These Lakes are Willinga, Meroo, Termeil,
Tabourie, and Burrill. Coastal lakes and their streams and marshes
support high levels of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, including
abundant fish, birdlife and frogs.
The Five Lakes contains two of only three coastal lakes which still
have intact ecosystems between Kiama and Nadgee on the Victorian
border, according to the Australian Heritage Commission.
The Five Lakes contains high biodiversity, with ten threatened fauna
species recorded there. These species include the Endangered Green
and Golden Bell Frog, with Meroo Lake containing the largest colony
of this species in NSW, and the only known Koala population in the
district.
The Five Lakes is partly National Estate, Registered as the
Benandarah National Estate Place in recognition of its important
natural values.
The Five Lakes has significant Aboriginal cultural values, with many
Aboriginal sites recorded there.
The Five Lakes contains important JANIS scientific values - The Five
Lakes must be protected to met the target for Forest Ecosystem 149
(bringing it to 82% of its target), and can meet all the target for
Forest Ecosystem 65 and 53% of target for Forest Ecosystem 160, a
coastal heath.
Flat Rock
Flat Rock contains a large part of Flat Rock State Forest, and small
sections of North and South Brooman State Forests. It Borders Morton
National Park and the Budawangs Wilderness near Pigeon House
Mountain, inland from Ulladulla.
Flat Rock was almost entirely deferred from logging in recognition of
its high JANIS scientific values, in the Interim Assessment Process.
Much of the rest of Flat Rock is automatically at the end of any
possible logging schedule in recognition of its high conservation
values. As determined by the Interim Assessment Process, Flat Rock
should be required for a Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative
forest reserve system under the Regional Forest Agreement process.
Flat Rock connects Morton National Park to the coast. Bordering the
Budawangs Wilderness in Morton National Park, Flat Rock stretches to
the Greater Murramarang proposed National Park to provide a
mountains-to-coast corridor, important for the long-term survival of
many species and ecosystems.
Flat Rock contains the only known roost site for the Grey-headed
Flying Fox in the Region, and is therefore likely to be of great
importance to the conservation of this species.
Flat Rock contains JANIS scientific values, such as the presence of
the largest patch of old-growth forest ecosystem 47; it also makes a
major contribution to the targets for old-growth forest ecosystems
50, 62 and 63.
It is also the largest contributor of any proposed National Park
towards the target for the threatened Powerful Owl.
Kianga
Kianga lies close to the coast near Dalmeny and Narooma. It covers a
small section of Bodalla State Forest and some vacant crown land at
Wagonga hill.
Kianga is a near-coastal forest, lying within approximately one
kilometer off the coast.
The entire area of Kianga contributes to JANIS scientific targets.
It is vital for achieving the targets for forest ecosystems 49, 152
and 153, and the targets for old-growth forest ecosystems 49, 152 and
153. Both old-growth ecosystems 152 and 153 have a 100% target on
State Forest land, and therefore must be reserved under the NSW RFA
process.
Kianga is the closest public forest to the South Coast centre of
Narooma, and so has important social, recreational and tourism
values.
Kianga contains significant coastal old-growth forest, particularly
around Wagonga Hill.
Kianga contains catchments for three coastal lakes - Lake Mummuga,
Kianga Lake and Wagonga Inlet.
Monga-Buckenbowra
Monga-Buckenbowra covers most of Monga and Buckenbowra State Forests,
between Braidwood and Batemans Bay. It also covers all of Quart Pot
State Forest and part of Wandera State Forest along with a small
block of vacant crown land. It lies between Deua and Budawang
National Parks.
Monga-Buckenbowra is essential for reserve design for a regional
forest reserve system, as it links the four largest National Parks in
the region - joining Morton and Budawang in the north to Deua and
Wadbilliga in the south.
Monga-Buckenbowra is one of the most important areas in the region
for conserving rainforest. It contains the largest contiguous area
of rainforest on the South Coast, and harbours some of the best
remaining areas of Pinkwood rainforest, an ancient Gondwanan relic,
in existence.
Monga-Buckenbowra contains some of the most significant stands of
giant fertile old-growth forest in southern NSW, providing a refugia
and core habitat for an abundance of wildlife and plants.
Monga-Buckenbowra contains at least 17 threatened species, including
the nationally threatened Macquarie Perch, making it a biodiversity
hot spot.
Monga-Buckenbowra is largely National Estate, listed in recognition
of its exceptional environmental values.
Monga-Buckenbowra is largely Commonwealth-identified Wilderness
(National Wilderness Inventory level 12 Wilderness), and the Wandera
section along with much of Monga, Buckenbowra and Quart Pot, is also
nominated as Wilderness in NSW.
Monga-Buckenbowra protects the catchments for the pristine Mongarlowe
and Buckenbowra Rivers. The unique Mongarlowe River valley lying
atop the Eastern Escarpment captures rain and clouds to make it the
wettest place in the entire region.
Monga-Buckenbowra is essential for achieving JANIS scientific
targets. It is a major contributor to all rainforest types, and is
the only place to find rainforest types 77 and 82. It also makes the
largest contributions of any area for the targets of forest
ecosystems 4, 44, 50 and 159, and contains all of forest ecosystems
2, 96, and 110.
Greater Murramarang
Greater Murramarang is an extension to Murramarang National Park,
stretching north along the coast from Batemans Bay to Bawley Point,
and inland to the Princes Highway. It covers all of Kioloa State
Forest, the eastern half of Benandarah State Forest, part of South
Brooman State Forest, the lake bed of Durras Lake, and an adjacent
area of vacant crown land.
Greater Murramarang is classified as Coastal Zone under the NSW
Coastal Policy, 1997. It is an important duel forest-coastal
National Park proposal.
Greater Murramarang is entirely covered by National Estate, in
recognition of its exceptional conservation values.
Greater Murramarang is a biodiversity hot spot, containing over 140
species of birds and diverse rainforest, with an very high number of
rainforest plants reaching the southern limit of their range there.
Greater Murramarang contains 19 threatened species, making it one of
the richest areas in threatened species habitat in Southern NSW.
Recorded there are the Tiger Quoll, White-footed Dunnart, Yellow-
bellied Glider, Squirrel Glider, Long-nosed Potoroo, Southern Brown
Bandicoot, Common Bent-wing Bat, Large-footed Mouse-eared Bat, Great
Pipistrelle, Greater Broad-nosed Bat, Sooty Owl, Masked Owl, Powerful
Owl, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Osprey, Regent Honeyeater, Olive
Whistler, Blue-billed Duck and Ground Parrot.
Greater Murramarang protects Durras Lake, one of the only coastal
lakes in southern NSW with an intact ecosystem and still in natural
condition. It is the only large, slow-turnover lake on the South
Coast sufficiently undamaged to warrant special protection, according
to Professor John Chappell.
Greater Murramarang contains significant Aboriginal cultural values -
187 sites are recorded in the Benandarah section alone.
Greater Murramarang must be extended to make Murramarang National
Park ecologically viable - parts of the park are as little as 50
metres wide.
Tallaganda
Tallaganda is the northern end of Tallaganda State Forest, west of
Braidwood.
Tallaganda contains huge areas of old growth-forest, which under the
NSW Labor Government's forests policy must be protected. According
to the Interim Assessment Process it contains a staggering 46% of its
area as old-growth forest - over 8,000 hectares of diverse old-growth
ranging from wet, giant old-growth to dry, rare old-growth forest.
Tallaganda reserves an isolated whole ecosystem, lying on the crest
of the Great Dividing Range at the northern end of the 50km long,
thin corridor of Tallaganda State Forest. Such an isolated
ecosystem, largely separated from the rest of the forest estate, and
with a forest ecosystem unique in its high altitudes not represented
anywhere else in the Southern reserve system, it is important for
conserving the full range of biodiversity in the Southern Region.
Tallaganda must be protected to achieve JANIS scientific targets -
largely meeting an astonishing 24 JANIS targets required for a
Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative forest reserve system.
Nine forest ecosystem and six old-growth targets are fully met in
Tallaganda, whilst a further three forest ecosystem and four old-
growth targets reach over 90% of target. Tallaganda also meets the
entire target of the uncommon Barking Owl and 47% of the target for
the threatened Powerful Owl.
Tallaganda was almost entirely deferred in recognition of its
exceptional conservation values during the Interim Assessment Process
- it contains over 17,000 hectares of forest identified as likely to
be required for the Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative forest
reserve system for Southern Region.
Wandella
Wandella covers much of Wandella State Forest, on the eastern side of
Wadbilliga National Park, inland from Narooma and Tilba.
Wandella is Wilderness - it has been nominated under the NSW
Wilderness process as Wilderness, and an assessment has taken place
by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service of its wilderness
qualities as part of the Brogo Wilderness.
Wandella adjoins the Wadbilliga National Park and the Brogo
Wilderness - it would add to the size, diversity and viability of
this National Park and Wilderness area.
Wandella contains eight threatened species. These are the Giant
Burrowing Frog, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Powerful Owl, Masked Owl,
Sooty Owl, Olive Whistler, Tiger Quoll, Koala, and Yellow-bellied
Glider.
Wandella contributes to JANIS scientific targets. It is likely to
contribute to the target for Wilderness, along with contributing
significantly to rainforest ecosystems 79 and 151. It also
contributes to fauna targets for the two threatened species Koala and
Sooty Owl.
Wandella contains most of the catchment for the lower Wadbilliga
River, a river which is largely undisturbed and natural along its
entire length, apart from a section of the tributary Yowrie River.
Most of the Wadbilliga River is contained within the Wadbilliga
National Park and Brogo Wilderness - river systems in such a natural
condition have enormous conservation value.
Wandella is an area of community concern. It recently held a
blockade of logging operations in the Wandella wilderness assessment
area, strongly supported by the local community. A large number of
local residents are now active and vocal in rejecting the logging of
Wandella, and are calling for its protection.