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Speak up for the future of our river communities
26-August-2009
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
Speak up for the future of our river communities
Following on from Minister Peter Garrett’s threat to close down sustainable logging in the Central Murray, the New South Wales Natural Resources Commission (NRC) is conducting an assessment into the river red gum and woodland forests in the Riverina and is seeking public submissions and discussions from stakeholders.
The key date for the Assessment of red gum forests in the Riverina is 30 September 2009 and Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley, is urging anyone involved in Riverina forestry or towns to have a say.
“We are in the fight of our lives to save our communities and way of life in the Central Murray” Ms Ley said after debating the Wilderness society on Albury local radio yesterday morning.
Ms Ley warned that the Wilderness Society is expecting this independent assessment to recommend the protection of the regions’ entire State Forest estate in new National Parks. The Wilderness Society has previously released independent research that claims that new National Parks will create new jobs and boost the regional economy.
“The Wilderness Society is a disgrace” Sussan Ley said. “Their representative, Mr Cooper, stated on radio that the forests are harvested for fence posts, firewood and railway sleepers which are all low value products that we should be sourcing elsewhere. They think we should heat our homes with coal-fired electricity and using concrete fence posts and sleepers instead of wood – how environmentally sustainable is that?” she asked.
“Mr Cooper is incorrect. The sustainable harvested river red gum is also made into furniture or high quality red gum veneer.”
“The Wilderness Society claims that forests need water and advocates more environmental flows. The towns along the Murray are already facing a critical water shortage, but where is the water coming from? The Wilderness Society claims that an open forest with large trees is the ideal, but this is exactly what you get from sustainable harvesting.”
“We have a simple choice – either we harvest these forests as part of their re-generation, or they re-generate with fire. If the forests on both sides of the river are locked up there will be a substantial area of dense timber and it will burn without respect to human life and property”
“I ask the Wilderness Society and other conservation groups to make a serious undertaking to come down and fight any fires that break out in the National Parks for which their policies are responsible” Ms Ley said.
Full details of the assessment and of how to make a submission is available on the Natural Resources Commission website www.nrc.nsw.gov.au.
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Media contact: Debbie Brown (02) 60213264 0428 297 699