NPA AND SOUTH EAST FOREST ALLIANCE
EDEN FOREST AGREEMENT
A USELESS PIECE OF PAPER
The South East Forest Alliance and the National Parks Association today said that the Eden Regional Forest Agreement signed between Bob Carr and John Howard was a useless piece of paper.
"Bob Carr has signed a useless piece of paper," said Noel Plumb NPA's Executive Officer and spokesperson for SEFA, " because it ignores the public's demands that our old growth forests be genuinely protected and that clearfelling and woodchipping be stopped."
"The publics outrage will not disappear magically because a useless piece of paper has been signed. The appalling intensive logging and clearfelling continues in the South East Forests around Eden."
We can show any politician, any member of the public or the press , right now, intensive woodchip operations on steep land which is in the heart of endangered koala habitat. This is an area of 20,000 ha proposed by conservation groups in the Eden negotiations as a light sawlogging area, to reduce job impacts in the short term pending a transition to plantations."
"The additional areas added to the national parks are welcome and important but do not include other important and iconic areas of majestic old growth and endangered species habitat, now destined for the Eden Woodchip Mill of Harris Daishowa."
"The RFA guarantees a long term continuing supply of woodchips to the Mill, nearly 350,000 tonnes per annum, from the Eden region and so breaks Bob Carr's 1995 promise to end export woodchipping by 2000."
"This piece of paper will not resolve the forest conflicts in the region or in NSW "
"The RFA also endangers good conservation outcomes from the current assessment of South Coast foressts, between Nowra and Narooma, presently due for completion by December. The wonderful forests of the South Coast may also end up as a long term source of woodchips for the Daishowa Mill which is already receiving 60 - 70,000 tonnes per annum from the South Coast."
For further comment or information: Noel Plumb 9233 4660 or 0412 975 575
26 August 1999