The Colong Foundation for Wilderness, in conjunction with NPA and a broad coalition of environment and bushwalking groups, is undertaking the Wilder- ness 2000 campaign. It aims to secure 35 new wilder- ness areas and additions by the end of 2000. A slide show and forest wilderness response kit have been developed, and further information on each area is provided on the Foundation’s new web site http://www.colongwilderness.org.au 

Over a million hectares of forests could be protected through the campaign. Little progress has been made since the last State election, and in a recent retrograde step the NPWS has reassessed Deua-Tuross wilderness. This action was contrary to written undertakings made by the NPWS and the Premier’s Office that such areas would be safe. Over 11,000 hectares of previously identified wilderness have been repudiated by the NPWS and are now at risk of logging.

The Carr Government’s wilderness pledge 
Of the 35 areas in the Wilderness 2000 campaign, 26 are new areas and additions to existing areas that the Government will assess before the end of the year (Premier’s Office, March 19). These new areas total about 650,000 ha, including 428,000 ha of national park and 140,750 ha of State forest. 

These new wilderness areas will be assessed in three wilderness assessment reports. There will be one report each for the Upper and Lower North East Forest Regions, which extend from the Queensland border almost to Sydney. The third report covers the Southern Forest Region from Nowra to Narooma as well as west almost to Wagga Wagga.

New wilderness assessment areas in the SE 
The remaining nine areas in the Wilderness 2000 campaign were flagged during the Southern Forest Comprehensive Regional Assessment. The land ten- ure for these wilderness areas is approximately: national park 191,800 ha; State forest 5,160 ha; Crown land 17,974 ha; leasehold land 500 ha; and 4,480 ha freehold land.

These areas should include the 12,000 hectare wilderness addition to the Jagungal area in Kosci- uszko National Park nominated by the Colong Foun- dation. If current trends continue, this sensitive area will see devastating resort development and inappro- priate use. To stop the damage, the original 1962 Kosciusko Primitive Area that existed in various forms from 1962 to 1982 should be reinstated.

Assessed and yet to be protected wilderness 
Still awaiting protection are about 137,400 ha of previ- ously NPWS identified wilderness in the North East Forest Regions. These consist of 120,000 ha of mainly Crown leasehold in the steep mountain valleys of the Macleay Gorges and Guy Fawkes wilderness areas, and a further 18,500 ha of leasehold within State Forests lands, including parts of Chaelundi SF. All these areas are under a logging moratorium (ref. Premier’s Office, March 20 and 23, 1999) and are being acquired through the Dunphy Wilderness Fund. This fund was set up in 1996 to celebrate Milo Dunphy's contribution to nature conservation; so far over 40,000 ha have been protected through the fund. 

In the Southern Region another 33,800 ha of previ- ously NPWS identified wilderness in the Deua-Tuross wilderness are yet to be protected. This comprises 9,000 ha of national park, 20,000 ha of State forest, 3,500 ha of Crown leasehold and 300 ha of freehold. 

The Carr Government reserved 897,637 ha of wilderness in its first term, more than doubling the area protected. But surprisingly only 100,000 ha of this area was former State Forests land. The coming year will determine whether the wilderness forests of NSW are saved or logged. Early indications are that places like Deua on the South Coast and the Pilliga forests near Coonabarabran could be sacrificed by the Carr Government, which is working to secure votes in marginal rural districts like Lithgow, South Coast and Clarence.

* Keith Muir is Director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.