THE SOUTH EAST FOREST ALLIANCE

COMMUNITY RESERVE PROPOSALS FOR THE SOUTH COAST - August 1999

The SEFA Community Reserve Proposals for the NSW South Coast forests would, combined with the just established South East Forests National Park in the Eden Region, create a continuous protected forest area along the NSW escarpment of over 300 km, stretching from the Victorian border to north of Nowra. The new parks would also protect at least seven coastal lakes and their immediate forested catchments.

The South Coast is home to 400 animal species - an amazing one fifth of the animal species in Australia but at least 60 of these species are threatened The South Coast is dominated by native forests - it is the most heavily forested area on the entire NSW coast.

The 15 SEFA Reserve Proposals at this stage see 180,000 ha of State Forest transferred and protected as national park, leaving a considerable area of State Forests in the region. A further 57,000 ha of the Clyde River catchment is given special protection as a major catchment area in any further logging operations.

The South Coast, stretching from north of Nowra to south of Narooma, and inland almost to Canberra, covers two of the major tourist destinations in the State , the Shoalhaven Shire and the "Eurobodalla Nature Coast" (the Eurobodalla Shire) - both critically reliant on the natural environment for tourism. Present visitor numbers to the Eurobodalla coastal area alone are at least 800,000 per annum

Eurobodalla Shire - 1996/8 ( from Eurobodalla Shire Council Plan Of Management 1998 and Centre For Agricultural and Research Economics 1996)

tourism expenditure $183 million (Moore D 1997)

tourism related employment 1998 2656 people

est. value of timber products logged $1.5 million or less

sawmill employment 92 people

Shoalhaven Shire - 1996/7 (from Shoalhaven Council Profile and Statement of Economic Impact 1996/7 pub. Feb 1998)

tourism expenditure $348 million

tourism related employment 3900 people

value of timber products logged $1.5 million

all forestry employment 32 people

Continued extensive industrial logging and woodchipping would seriously threaten the massive tourism industry as well as water supplies to rural communities and industries. Tourism (reliant primarily on natural features in an area where the predominant natural feature is forests and coastal lakes) is worth over $500 million.

The new national parks proposals are Moreton Wilderness Extensions, Parma (Jervis Bay Links), Greater Conjola, Croobyar, Flat Rock, Five Lakes, Bimberamala (Upper Clyde),Greater Murramarang, Monga-Buckenbowra, Greater Deua, Kianga, Wandella (Peak Alone), Dignams Creek, Badja and Tallaganda