Above Photo: Protesters blockade the road into the Kuark forest in East Gippsland. Photo: Supplied
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Environmental activists have set up a blockade at a remote old-growth forest in East Gippsland in a last-ditch attempt to disrupt logging plans.
Harvesting of native timber is due to begin as soon as Wednesday in a previously untouched part of the Kuark Forest near Orbost, even as environmental lawyers take legal action to have logging in the area ruled illegal.
State-owned enterprise VicForests this week told lawyers for Environmental Justice Australia that it would begin harvesting the “Princess Cut” coupe in the Kuark forest on November 1.
The decision was made after the Andrews government approved the work with tougher new conditions imposed on VicForests, which will likely reduce the number of large old trees the agency can harvest.
Any tree with a diameter of more than 2½ metres will be off-limits to loggers, as will habitat trees that provide a home for native animals and help plant life flourish below the forest canopy.
Compliance officers with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will inspect the forest this week to make sure the new limit is adhered to, the government said.
Harvesting will not begin until the inspection is complete and large old trees and areas of habitat in and around the coupe have been protected.
“A significant amount of the Kuark forest is already protected and our new requirements will ensure more of this incredible wilderness is safe,” Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said.
VicForests is ordinarily permitted to harvest large old trees up to four metres in diameter.
But the new restrictions have failed to mollify conservationists who want to put a complete stop to timber harvesting in the Kuark.
About 20 protesters have set up a blockade on the forest’s access road and have threatened to hold fort “for as long as it takes” to stop VicForests entering the coupe.
“Logging in this irreplaceable ancient forest would be a tragic loss for Victoria,” Goongerah Environment Centre spokesman Ed Hill said.
“Labor’s logging is destroying endangered wildlife habitat, old-growth forest, valuable carbon sinks and precious rainforest areas,” Mr Hill said.
Activists have previously run their own “citizen surveys” in the forest and found evidence of threatened animal and fish species including the yellow-bellied glider, long-footed potoroo and East Gippsland galaxias.
Lawyers from Environmental Justice Australia are pursuing legal action in the Supreme Court to try to stop the logging.
They argue that the state government has not effectively protected the 60 per cent minimum required area of old-growth forest.
A VicForests spokesperson said in response to community concerns, additional areas of the Princess Cut coup would be excluded from harvesting and very large trees protected.
“VicForests’ intention is to commence timber harvesting operations in this coupe when conditions are suitable and legal proceedings are resolved,” the spokesperson said.