In October the NSW Environmental Protection Agency discovered an endangered greater glider dead in an area of the Tallaganda Forest being logged. This tragedy highlighted the threat that logging in native forests poses for our unique fauna.
An estimated 50 million trees are bulldozed in Australia each year, leading to the deaths of over 70 million native animals due to deforestation across Australia. That’s why I have agreed to lead a push to end industrial scale native forestry nationally.
This might seem like a radical call. But just over two years ago, Australia, along with more than 100 other countries, signed an agreement called the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use at COP26 to end deforestation by 2030.
Victoria and Western Australia are already going down this path. Logging of native forests in these states will end in December. But the practice continues in NSW, Tasmania and Queensland. That’s why I am sponsoring a pledge which calls on state and federal governments to work together toward a total national ban.
I know the residents of Mackellar deeply value the natural environment. It’s what makes our own region so special. Native forests are home to some of Australia’s most iconic species – koalas, gliders as well as countless other birds, mammals and reptiles. But if Australia continues to log our native forests at the current rate, these animals may become extinct in the wild during our lifetime.
How will I look my children in the eye when koalas have been wiped out in my home state NSW – which a NSW parliamentary inquiry found could occur as soon as 2050? Logging of native forests not only threatens our native species, but it contributes to climate change. We need to preserve our native forests as carbon sinks.
Native forest logging is also lossmaking and relies on taxpayer subsidies. This means here in NSW we are subsidising the destruction of our forests. While some of the logs ends up as floorboards, much ends up in low value uses such as woodchips and tomato stakes. Plantation forestry is more lucrative and a better way to produce the timbers we need, especially for housing.
Of course, there needs to be well thought through plans to assist timber workers and communities to adapt to other related roles including plantation work and tourism.
The pledge already has the support of my fellow independents Monique Ryan and David Pocock, most Greens politicians and our own state MP for Wakehurst, Michael Regan. It’s also backed by former Labor and Liberal environment ministers: Geoff Gallop, the former premier of WA, Robert Hill, former federal environment minister in the Howard government, Peter Garrett, former federal Labor environment minister, Bob Debus the former NSW Labor environment minister and, Rod Welford and Desley Boyle, two former Queensland environment ministers.
Over 30 scientists have signed the pledge. It’s now time for the serving politicians in the major parties to act.
Professor David Lindenmayer, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University said: “All scientific economic and social data show that native forest logging is environmentally, economically and socially bankrupt. We have to make a rapid transition to a plantation-only industry.”
I implore state and federal politicians to listen to the wise heads in their parties, economists and scientists, who have signed the pledge.