RARE HONEYEATER THREATENED BY MASSIVE LOGGING OF WESTERN WOODLANDS
The National Parks Association and the Dubbo Field Naturalists have disclosed that a nationally endangered bird species, the Regent Honeyeater, has reappeared in the Goonoo State Forest just north of Dubbo after an absence of decades. Goonoo is one of the largest and most important of the surviving western woodlands and is threatened by massive logging proposed to feed a new charcoal plant at Dubbo.
Speaking from the sighting area in the Goonoo State Forest where they had taken a group of journalists:-:
Janice Hoskin of the Dubbo Field Naturalists said " We have observed a pair of Regent Honeyeaters over the past two to three weeks and believe that they are likely to be a breeding pair as they have stayed in the area. We are very excited as this would see the honeyeaters move back into a large area of potential habitat with the ironbark trees that the birds depend upon.."
Noel Plumb of the NPA commented " It is excruciating that we make this finding now. It is excruciating because State Forests and the Premiers Department are planning a massive logging operation to target ironbark trees in the Goonoo and , further north, the Pilliga. Over the past 5 years the efforts of State and Federal conservation agencies, landholders, farmers and community conservation groups, and a lot of taxpayers' money, have been poured into a National Recovery Plan for the Honeyeaters."
"We are sure that the public will not be happy that a nationally endangered species like the Honeyeater is now at the mercy of a commercial charcoal plant. And the Honeyeater is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the risks to many plant, animal and bird species posed by this massive logging operation, designed to burn the woodlands for charcoal."
"Conservationists are determined that they will not stand by while the NSW government continues to smooth the way for this third world logging deal."
For more information or comment Noel Plumb and Janice Hoskin 0412 975 575
The Regent Honeyeater is listed as endangered nationally and in NSW because its population has fallen to about 1500 birds Australia-wide. The decline of the Honeyeater appears to be due to a steady reduction in the extent and the quality of its habitat, the box ironbark open forests of the west, which contain the 'key' eucalypt species of Mugga Ironbark, White Box and Yellow Box.
Ironbark and box tree stands with good nectar production are critical to the survival of the Honeyeaters but unsustainable logging and very slow growth rates of replacement trees has reduced the key species to remnants only. All box-ironbark woodlands are therefore important as the last refuge for the survival of the Regent Honeyeater.
Renewed intensive logging in the woodlands is likely to remove essential nectar and insect supplies in critical years.
20 July 1999