MEDIA RELEASE 15 March 2022

The North East Forest Alliance is calling on Premier Dominic Perrottet to block the imminent 5 year extension of north coast Wood Supply Agreements because of the massive loss of resources in the 2019/20 fires, the increased need to protect fire refuges for affected Koalas, the need to restore hollow-bearing trees, and the urgency of protecting forests as carbon sinks to mitigate climate heating.

In the 2019/20 wildfires 49% of north-coast State Forests burnt causing the deaths of millions of trees and animals, yet contrary to their own evidence and advice the NSW Government is intending to continue cutting down trees and destroying animal’s homes as if nothing happened, said NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh.

“In response to a question from Justin Field the Forestry Corporation revealed they are in the process of extending Wood Supply Agreements for north coast public forests, issued in 2003 for 20 years, unaltered for a further 5 years (1).

Logging Rapidly Smashing Braemar and Myrtle State Forests

Posted by Dailan Pugh · February 11, 2024 11:50 AM

GREATER GLIDERS… are Great

Posted by Sean O'Shannessy · February 10, 2024 7:45 AM

CLOUDS CREEK GREATER GLIDER SANCTUARY DECLARED

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18/02/22: Camira State Forest - Dalian Pugh Leads Search for Endangered Koalas

This week around a dozen Fridays4Forests protectors met in Camira State Forest (west of the Summerland Way, between Casino and Grafton) with renowned environmentalist and President of the North East Forest Alliance, Dailan Pugh (OAM) to follow up on his work there surveying for our endangered koalas. Dailan has been studying the unburnt section of Camira which is imminently threatened with logging and found considerable evidence of a significant koala colony there. 

MEDIA RELEASE 24 November 2021

NEFA say they have confirmed that that Cherry Tree State Forest is core Koala habitat and are calling on the Minister Kean to stop logging their homes if his claims of saving Koalas from extinction and doubling populations are to have any credibility.

A NEFA assessment on Sunday has confirmed that Koalas and their habitat are widespread in Cherry Tree State Forest, making it core Koala habitat that would have logging excluded if it was on private land, said NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh.

“There is no doubt that Koalas are widespread in compartments 3 and 4 of Cherry Tree State Forest, and have been for at least the past 23 years, and it appears they are using most suitable feed trees.

“The forest in the logging area is dominated by Koala use tree species, and thus is highly suitable Koala habitat and qualifies as core Koala habitat as defined in State Environmental Planning Policy (Koala Habitat Protection) 2021.

Please object to the Restart of Redbank Power Station by burning 850,000 tonnes of native forests obtained from landclearing

Posted by Dailan Pugh · April 05, 2024 4:53 PM · 2 reactions

October 2022 Opportunity!

Posted by Susie Russell · October 01, 2022 4:13 PM

Submissions Guide Round 2 for the Redbank Power Station

Posted by Zianna Fuad · September 17, 2021 7:50 AM · 1 reaction

The North East Forest Alliance considers that the Koala Strategy has failed Koalas as its identification of priority Koala Reserves on State Forests are a sham.

Koala populations on the North Coast have collapsed by 50% in the past 20 years and this strategy will do little to redress that decline, said NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh.

"If the objective is to stabilise and then increase koala numbers over the longer-term the highest priority has to be to identify and protect the remaining core habitat for Koalas on publicly owned State Forests from further degradation.

The North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) considers the intent of the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) $750,000 project assessing the North Coast private native forest north from Newcastle appears to be to identify private forests for loggers to target for sawlogs as supplies from public lands continue to rapidly decline.

DPI surveys of both millers and logging contractors attest to the degraded nature of north-east NSWs public and private forests due to over-logging, with supplies of high quality sawlogs rapidly declining across the forest estate, according to Dailan Pugh, spokesperson for NEFA.

"Regrettably 80% of private landowners are reported as having little understanding or interest in the logging rules, with 67% of contractors believing most landowners are only interested in maximising short term income.

"The Government needs to do more than just help loggers identify and flog the best stands remaining, they have a responsibility to identify and protect oldgrowth forests, the habitat of threatened species, endangered ecological communities and other special values. These too need to be mapped.

"This time the NSW Government is targeting the best Koala habitat left on private land for intensified logging, with the promised Koala strategy nowhere to be seen.

"There is nothing sustainable about forestry as currently practiced, and the Government's current proposals to increase logging intensity while slashing the few protections for threatened species and stream buffers on both public and private lands will just increase its unsustainability.

"For those landholders who want to do the right thing the Government should be providing incentive payments for management of forests to protect threatened species, improve stream quality, enhance rainfall, and store ever increasing volumes of atmospheric carbon as they age. This is to the benefit of all of us.

"For those landholders that don't care the Government needs to ensure that the logging rules for private lands are improved to limit the ongoing degradation, introduce meaningful protection for threatened species and improve protection for streams." Mr. Pugh said.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Margaret Mead

Forest Values

• Natural Values
• Carbon Storage
• Water Yields
• Community Interest
• Recreational Use
• Reserves

Forest Issues

• Logging Dieback
• Climate Change
• Koalas
• Cable Logging
• Logging Prescriptions
• Forest Slaughter
• Old Trees
• Logging Industry
• World Heritage
• Impacts of Grazing
• Fire

Chaelundi 30 years on

• Recollections of legal and political efforts here
• Academic Papers here
• Chaelundi in the Commons Library "Blockades That Changed Australia"
• Great Album of Photos here

Forest Surveys

• Post-Logging Audit Guide

“Stand up for koalas or they won't survive in the wild” is the warning call from the North East Forest Alliance.

“The NSW Government is carrying out a koala extermination program. It really can't be seen as anything else. It is gutting protections for koalas in all the relevant legislation” said Dailan Pugh, NEFA spokesperson.