NEFA have accused the EPA of intentionally misleading the community by claiming that unmapped streams on State forests in the Richmond catchment are not currently required to be protected by 10m buffers.

"NEFA categorically rejects the EPA's claim that unmapped streams on State forests in the Richmond catchment do not have a 10m buffer applied, and stand by our contention that all mapped headwater streams, and most unmapped ones, are currently legally required to have 10 metre buffers applied", NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh said

ROW OVER MASSIVE CLEAR-FELL ‘TRIALS’ CONTINUES
 
Assurances by NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) that ‘all is well’ in the region’s native forests have been rejected, as “not believable, nor based on reality”, North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) spokesperson Mr John Corkill, said today.     The comments are the latest in a major public dispute over the EPA’s support for proposed logging “trials” at massively increased levels of intensity.

HARM TO ENVIRONMENT FROM LOGGING ESCALATES UNDER E.P.A.
 
A vote of ‘no confidence’ in the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has been carried by the North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) following revelations that the EPA propose to approve widespread clear-felling of public forests in north-east NSW, reduce protection of headwater streams, and remove the need to protect habitat for many Threatened species, including the Koala.

Attempts by Ballina Council to protect koala habitat and other high conservation value vegetation have been blocked by the NSW Government.

The North Coast Environment Council and North East Forest Alliance support Ballina Shire Council’s attempts to provide needed regulation of logging on private land.

“The failure of today's deal by the Liberal-National Coalition and the ALP on a Renewable Energy Target to exclude native forests from being fed into power stations is a major blow for both the genuine renewable energy industry and the future health of our region's forests” said NCEC spokesperson Susie Russell.

The North East Forest Alliance has condemned commitments by the Liberal-National Coalition today to repeal the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the Native Vegetation Act 2003.

“The proposed changes would be an environmental disaster and setback conservation in NSW 25 years,” said NEFA spokesperson, Dailan Pugh.

A promise to return ‘third party’ legal rights, to allow “any person” to enforce the logging industry’s compliance with environmental laws, made by NSW Labor Leader Luke Foley today, has been welcomed by the North East Forest Alliance, as ‘a necessary measure’, due to what NEFA says is a major breakdown in the regulation of logging in publicly owned native forests in north east NSW.
 
“In the interests of better forest management we urge Premier Baird to match this promise. The NSW Forestry Corporation has repeatedly broken the rules governing logging, designed to protect streams, soils and threatened species, while the NSW Environment Protection Authority has ‘turned a blind eye’. Allowing independent enforcement is the only way to restore integrity to the system of environmental protection,” North East Forest Alliance spokesperson, John Corkill said today.

“Environmentalists welcome the announcement from NSW Labor leader Luke Foley, that if elected Premier he will ensure that cable logging on extremely steep slopes will not be introduced,” said NCEC Vice-President Susie Russell.

 “However we are dismayed that Liberal Premier Mike Baird, if elected, will continue with his plan to open up extremely steep slopes on the north coast for logging.

MEDIA RELEASE 10/3/2015

The North East Forest Alliance is calling on Environment Minister Rob Stokes to immediately stop logging of Cherry Tree State Forest on the Richmond Range following an inspection of the area on the weekend.

he call comes after a Sunday visit found 8 threatened plants that had been illegally damaged and that the Forestry Corporation are not identifying core Koala habitat.

The Minister must immediately stop logging in Cherry Tree State Forest west of Casino, until independent experts have identified locations of threatened plants and core Koala habitat, spokesperson for the North East Forest Alliance, Dailan Pugh said today. 

North coast Nationals candidates should declare whether they have accepted election campaign donations from logging or timber industry interests if they want to engage in the pre-election debate on publicly owned forests’ future use, according to North East Forest Alliance spokesperson Mr John Corkill.