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The breaches were confirmed during a survey last Thursday by two members of the environment group Friends of the Earth (FoE) and five Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) staff.

FoE spokesman Jonathan La Nauze said his group surveyed the forest several times and used GPS (global position system) to record eight locations where it believed breaches had occurred.

The department responded by sending staff from head office in Melbourne, the regional office at Benalla and the office at Nathalia to a joint inspection.

Department staff agreed two of the eight possibilities were breaches.

Mr La Nauze estimated one of the trees, beside the Broken Creek behind the Dharnya Centre, was 100 to 150 years old.
It was cut down this year despite having a diameter of between 107cm and 114cm, according to measurements taken by FoE and the DSE respectively, bigger than the prescribed 100cm.

Tragically, the contractors left the tree lying on the ground, presumably because they found it to be rotten inside, he said.
He said it could have provided habitat for native birds and animals.

The other tree felled illegally, in the centre of the forest at Flanagan's coupe, near Grinter's Bridge, was "an ancient tree, hundreds and hundreds of years old", Mr La Nauze said.

However, it had been cut before at some time in the past 180 years and the limbs removed last year were younger.

DSE and FoE measurements found the tree to be 160cm to 170cm round, larger than last year's prescribed size of 150cm.
Mr La Nauze said FoE's surveys covered only a small area of the forest.

"It is a fairly safe conclusion to draw that there are going to be more breaches, given the scale of the area," he said.

"We are appalled it's happening. The local individual staff are doing a great job and have been very co-operative. We really appreciate the DSE is trying and we want to co-operate with them.

"It is not about the people involved, it is the fact errors will always occur and we cannot afford to have this risk in a place as ecologically valuable as Barmah."

DSE regional director Kevin Ritchie said the department took the issues raised seriously and would continue to work to ensure logging operations were undertaken in line with requirements.

"(We) will use our environment management system to ensure these actions are fully investigated and learned from," Mr Ritchie said

Logging mistakes in sights
August 22 2006

The Department of Sustainability and Environment is working closely with Friends of the Earth to investigate the possibility of two more logging breaches in the Barmah forest.

Representatives from both organisations met on Thursday to inspect a logging site in the forest after Friends of the Earth flagged its concerns.

The investigation comes after the department last week confirmed 25 trees within 4 ha outside an approved coupe had been logged by mistake.

Friends of the Earth Barmah-Millewa campaign co-ordinator Jonathan La Nauze said the two infringements involved protected old-growth river red gums.

"Of course we are extremely disappointed that the incidents have occurred, but we would like to emphasise that we appreciate the department's responsiveness in this case," Mr La Nauze said.

"Whilst we are committed to co-operating with the department to help avoid errors like this in the future, our longterm position remains that Barmah forest must be protected from logging.

"The habitat values of Barmah are too rare and precious to be exposed to these risks."

Department regional director Kevin Ritchie said the department was taking the Friends of the Earth's concerns seriously and was compiling a report from the investigation.

"DSE will continue to work co-operatively with the Friends of the Earth and other stakeholders to ensure that logging operations are undertaken in line with the requirements of the Code of Forest Practice," Mr Ritchie said.

"We take seriously logging operations which occur outside of the approved prescriptions and will use our environment management system to ensure these actions are fully investigated and learned from."

Trees logged by mistake

August 14 2006

An area within Barmah forest has once again been logged by mistake, which follows an August 2005 public admission from the DSE that habitat of the threatened superb parrot had been logged.

A department spokesman said it had confirmed an error during field marking resulted in about 25 trees being harvested from a 4 ha area outside the intended and approved coupe within Barmah State Forest.

The mistake is an embarrassment for the department charged with protecting habitat for native flora and fauna, particularly because landholders have been prosecuted and fined for knocking down native trees.

"There has been no damage to habitat areas, which support threatened species including the superb parrot," the spokesman said.

"The harvesting occurred in an adjacent coupe, which had been selectively harvested 18 months earlier."

The Friends of the Earth are claiming responsibility for finding the logging.

"We can no longer sit back and trust that our government is looking after the last river red gums standing - DSE has proved time and time again they are not up to the job," Friends of the Earth spokesman Jonathan La Nauze said.

Victorian National Parks Association director Charlie Sherwin was equally critical.

"It is almost 12 months to the day since the last major breach," Mr Sherwin said.

"How many times must DSE break the law before action is taken?

"The DSE must be prohibited from any further forestry activities in the Barmah wetlands."

In February, the Environmental Protection Agency released a report into the DSE allowing logging in a "large part" of a special protection zone for the threatened superb parrot.

The report's recommendations stated the department should "implement as soon as possible" management systems that addresses document control and review and monitoring procedures.

"Harvesting operations were stopped immediately after the error was identified," the DSE spokesman said.

"An incident report has been generated through DSE's Environmental Management System which will ensure the issue is fully investigated."

DSE had previously undertaken to meet with the Friends of the Earth next week to discuss to their logging concerns.

NPA praises sleeper decision

July 5 2006

The use of concrete sleepers over traditional red gum pillars to construct a number of new bridges in the Riverina has been praised by the National Park Association (NPA) of NSW.

The NPA said the increasing demand for concrete sleepers over red gum pillars would help restore a number of iconic Murray River floodplain forests.

Longer lasting concrete sleepers were used to replace the CobramBarooga and Euston-Robinvale timber road bridges, as well as the bridge over the Broken Creek into the Barmah Forest.

While the NPA welcomed the decrease in sawmilling, it called on the NSW Government to provide exit packages to sawmillers affected by the decreasing demand for red gum pillars.

NPA Red Gum Icons project officer said there had been an ongoing decline in the use of river red gum in recent time.

"The time has come for the government to recognise that there is a problem in red gum logging and to provide some financial opportunities for the industry to restructure," Ms Kelly said.

The recent decision to cease using wooden railway sleepers on the north-south rail link between Brisbane and Melbourne is expected to further impact on sawmillers.

Saw mills lose out to concrete railway sleepers

Report: Emily Doak

The timber industry fears greater use of concrete railway sleepers will force many saw mills out of busines. The Australian Rail Track Corporation plans to use concrete rather than timber sleepers to upgrade the rail line from Melbourne to Brisbane. Timber producers are wondering how to cope with the loss of a 17 million dollar market.

Saw mill operators on the Murray River, NSW north coast and Western Australia were expecting to supply about 400 thousand timber sleepers a year to the Australian Rail Track Corporation. But with some extra cash in the Federal Budget, the ARTC has decided to go with concrete on the upgrade of the main north south line. The ARTC is refusing to comment but it's website says concrete sleepers can carry heavier loads, are cheaper to maintain and and last longer than timber. It sent a letter to sawmillers saying the requirement for timber

sleepers will substantially decrease immediately and that's left saw millers like Ken OBrien from Barham in limbo. Mr O'Brien says he's upgraded his mill specifically, only to be told there's now no requirement for timber sleepers. The National Association of Forrest Industries says the decision will cost the industry 17 million dollars and put up to two thousand jobs at risk.

The Association's Catherine Murphy saystimber sleepers are more environmentally friendly because thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases are produced in the manufacture of concrete. Meanwhile, the Dr Jacquie Kelly , which has been lobbying for redgums on the Murray to be protected, has welcomed the move from timber to concrete sleepers. The Association's Dr Jacquie Kelly says it's a better option that cutting down trees.

In this report: Barham saw millers Ken OBrien; Catherine Murphy, The National Association of Forrest Industries; Dr Jacquie Kelly, National Parks Association of NSW.

ALIENATED
June 12 2006
By Christine Chudley,

The Victorian Government has managed to alienate both sides of the red gum forests issue over its handling of a grazing strategy report.

Those who believe cattle grazing in the forest should continue and those who are working for the establishment of national parks along the Murray River with no cattle grazing are unhappy about the issue.

Member for Rodney Noel Maughan is also critical of the government, which he believes is trying to win votes in Melbourne to the detriment of people who live beside the Murray.

A Melbourne newspaper received a leaked copy of a confidential draft document about grazing and published a story saying it recommended reducing or stopping grazing on public land along the Murray River except where it could be environmentally beneficial.

A Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) spokesperson on Friday said the report was not complete and would not be because it had been superseded by the Victorian

Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) inquiry. The VEAC study sought input from those with an interest in any aspect of the forests.

Its final report is due to be released in 2008. The DSE spokesperson was unable to say what would happen to the grazing report. She could not confirm whether it would be released in 2008 or abandoned.

DSE staff began working on the grazing strategy on the recommendation of the Mid Murray Forest Management Plan released in 2002.

The Victorian National Parks' Association has been in frequent contact with the DSE about the strategy, which spokesman Nick Roberts said was originally due to have been prepared by 2003.

The association was later told the strategy would be released in 2005, Mr Roberts said.

In March, the association received a letter from Environment Minister John Thwaites saying the report would not be released until 2008 after the VEAC study. Mr Roberts accused the government of "backpedalling" and ignoring time lines.

"We would love to see a copy (of the draft strategy), as any stakeholder would," he said.

He said given the collective resources of the DSE and Department of Primary Industries, the report should have been finished. Barmah Cattlemen's Association president Kelvin Trickey said he was "very, very disappointed" with the government.

Mr Trickey said cattle grazers had been asking DSE staff at routine meetings for the past 18 months about the strategy report. In April, they were told it would be released "after the election".

Mr Trickey said Premier Steve Bracks, Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron and Mr Thwaites had refused invitations to the Barmah Muster two years in succession.

Concerned residents will head to forest rally
June 2 2006

Concerned Shepparton residents will join what could be a crowd of thousands in Melbourne on Sunday to protect Victoria's forests for World Environment Day.

Victorian National Parks Association spokesman Nick Roberts said people from his organisation, Goulburn Valley

Environment Group and Yorta Yorta people would gather for the march from the State Library, down Swanston St to Federation Square.

Among the celebrity protesters will be Jack Thompson, The John Butler Trio, Rob Gell and Matthew Werkmeister from the cast of Neighbours.

The Wilderness Society has organised the rally.
Spokesman Gavan McFadzean said while World Environment Day brought attention to global environmental challenges, such as climate change and whaling, this year's rally would put the spotlight on a critical issue close to home, the needless destruction of Victoria's irreplaceable old growth forests.

"The Bracks Government must act and protect old growth forests, water catchments and homes for endangered wildlife from the logging industry now," Mr McFadzean said.

Win for National Parks
May 29 2006

The Victorian Government plans to use gauge convertible concrete sleepers in the upgrade of the Mildura rail line - and the Victorian National Parks Association is claiming a win.

Association spokesman Nick Roberts said wooden sleepers were largely obsolete in most states, with the Victorian Government recently committing to use replacement concrete sleepers on the metropolitan rail system by 2006. However, most regional rail lines still used wooden sleepers.

River red gum rail sleepers were predominantly sourced from riverine forests and wetlands along the Murray in NSW, Mr Roberts said.

"The use of wooden sleepers from unsustainable harvesting, much of it by clear felling in NSW, is contributing to the decline in health of the Murray River and impacts upon its many threatened species," he said.

Mr Roberts welcomed the announcement that concrete sleepers would be used on the Mildura rail line, but said it was unfortunate most regional Victorian freight and passenger rail services would continue to operate on 19th century technology by relying on wooden sleepers.

Concrete sleepers outlasted wooden by up to 30 years, did not rot, were termite and fire proof and required less maintenance with fewer disruptions to services, he said.

"Most country rail users continue to be short-changed by a lack of longterm investment in regional rail infrastructure," he said.

"Red gum sleepers are a second best option for rail lines and country Victorians deserve better."

River health quest prompts protest

By David Wood, May 22 2006

Logging of the Murray River red gum forest must end if the river is ever to be healthy, according to a peak green group that demonstrated outside a high-profile government meeting in Melbourne on Friday.

Vocal: Nick Roberts in Melbourne on Friday.Victorian National Parks Association spokesman Nick Roberts, from Shepparton, was joined by Friends of the Earth and Wilderness Society members to demonstrate outside the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council meeting, and said ongoing destructive logging undermined the $1 billion effort to restore the health of the once-mighty Murray.

The MDBC meeting, which included ministers from Victoria, South Australia and NSW, was to discuss Federal Government funding that is likely to be used by the council's executive arm, the Murray-Darling Basin Commission.

"While these ministers sit in Melbourne discussing how to spend $1 billion saving the Murray, their departments are busy clear-felling it into oblivion," Mr Roberts said.

"The community cares a great deal about the environment, clean water and healthy wetlands, and they will be deeply unimpressed if government leaders keep allowing our red gum forests to be trashed."

He said in the past few months, Victorian forestry agencies had been responsible for a major logging breach resulting in the destruction of a protected area for the nationally endangered superb parrot, while NSW forestry agencies had just been reported for a massive clear-fell operation just metres from the banks of the Murray.

Mr Roberts said Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority chief executive officer Bill O'Kane said in a speech to the Royal Society of Victoria that there was no point spending the initial $500 million that was promised if other threats, such as grazing in Barmah, logging and pest plant and animals, were not addressed.

Mr Roberts said he wanted the Victorian and NSW governments to negotiate a system of new national parks with the traditional owners along the Murray River immediately.

Red gum logging protest

May 22 2006

Green groups took their message about logging red gum forests to the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council meeting Melbourne on Friday.

Representatives of the Victorian National Parks Association, Friends of the Earth and the Wilderness Society held a protest outside the Grand Hyatt for an hour from 8am.

They displayed banners calling for logging in Murray River red gum wetland forests to stop and talked to passers-by.

The groups said the logging was destructive and undermined the $1 billion effort to restore the river's health.

Friends of the Earth spokesman Jonathan La Nauze said his group had been warning for years that logging was pushing threatened species to the brink and irreversibly destroying indigenous cultural heritage.

"While these ministers sit in Melbourne discussing how to spend $1 billion saving the Murray, their departments are busy clear-felling it into oblivion," he said.

Money wasted unless clearing is monitored

May 17 2006

THE $500 million allocated in the Federal Budget to project to improve the environmental health of the Murray Darling basin could be wasted if the NSW Government continue to mismanage the Red Gum wetland forests along the Murray and its tributaries.

National Parks Association of NSW while congratulating the Federal Government for its show of commitment to river health has called into question the NSW Government's continued mismanagement of Murray Darling floodplain State Forests.

Conservation groups this week found a series of massive clearfell operations, including one 200m by 120 m, only metres from the banks of the Murray near Tooleybuc, in NSW.

The logging can be seen from the Murray Valley Highway on the Victorian side of the River.

National Parks Association of NSW Red Gum Icons Project Officer, Jacquie Kelly said this clearfell is so big that it looks like they wanted to put in a stadium the size of the SCG.

"If the destruction of the Red Gum forests continues this will put the water dependant ecosystems back years and do nothing to improve water quality," she said.

"The Murray River forests are seriously stressed, with swathes of Red Gums dead and dying, yet the NSW government is allowing clearfell logging to further degrade them and threaten endangered species like the Inland Carpet Python and Superb and Regent Parrots," Dr Kelly said.

"The Millewa forest and KoondrookPerricoota forests between Barham and Moama on the Murray, are part of the biggest Red Gum wetland forests in the world and Icon sites under The Living Murray, but are being clearfell logged.

"To save these floodplain forests a linked system of National Parks and Reserves along the Murray and its tributaries must be created," she said.

The Red Gum Icons project is a cross border campaign of the Victorian National Parks Association and the National Parks Association of NSW who are pushing for the governments of both States to stop logging and grazing in the high conservation Red Gum forests.

Forest logging threatens bird, parks group says
April 24 2006

The Victorian Government has come under fire for allowing logging to continue in Barmah Forest, which Victorian National Parks Association says is destroying the last breeding site of a nationally threatened bird.

The association says Barmah Forest is an internationally significant wetland and its River Red Gum forest is essential for the survival of the superb parrot.

However, a spokeswoman for the government said it had appointed an independent panel to assess the forests along Murray River - including Barmah.

Association spokesperson Nick Roberts said while logging continued in the Barmah forest the superb parrot would continue to be threatened.

"Environment Minister John Thwaites is charged with protecting this bird in Victoria, yet he is also ultimately responsible for the destruction of habitat in its only Victorian breeding site," Mr Roberts said.

"Just months after the Victorian Government admitted to illegally logging a Special Protection Zone within the Barmah forest on the River Murray, John Thwaites is allowing logging to restart in the internationally significant wetlands."

A spokeswoman for the government yesterday said before logging allocations were made on public land, the area was subject to a Department of Sustainability and Environment investigation.

"The Bracks Government has commissioned the Victorian Environment Assessment Committee to investigate the River Red Gum Forests on public lands along the Murray River so the government is reluctant pre-empt any part of the processes of the independent committee," the spokeswoman said.

"Over 500 submissions from interested groups and individuals were received in the first submission period, which closed on 4 July, 2005. These submissions are now being considered by VEAC in developing its Discussion Paper with the final report to be handed down by early 2008."

The association is also calling for Barmah and other significant River Red Gum forests and wetlands along the Murray River to become national parks.

Barmah in the spotlight

What beauty: Barmah State Park and Barmah State Forest are major contributors to Victoria's growing natural tourism market.

April 21 2006

By Darren Linton

Natural attractions across Victoria are booming, with visitor numbers to national and state parks topping 28 million in the last financial year.

Barmah State Park (7900 ha) and Barmah State Forest (21 600 ha), which contain the largest red gum forest in the world, are, together, a big contributor, with more than a million visitors a year.

Victorian Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos told a tourism and transport forum this week that natural tourism was the fastest growth area in Australia and globally.

"Victoria's national parks contribute over $481 million to the state economy each year through visitor spend and job creation," Mr Pandazopoulos said.

Victoria has more than eight million hectares of public land and parks, such as the Twelve Apostles at Port Campbell, Wilson's Promontory, the high country and The Grampians, that are centrepieces for the promotion of Victorian tourism.

Victorian National Parks Association Nick Roberts has called for Barmah to be elevated to the same iconic status.

"The key thing with Barmah is that it isn't promoted very well, it gets little funding and has few facilities," Mr Roberts said.

"It needs more promotion and to be declared a national park."

Mr Roberts said the forest was underutilised and could attract many more visitors if the right facilities for camping and walking were put in place.

"It would have huge benefits for the tourism industry and jobs," he said.

The Victorian Government has undertaken an independent study into Barmah's elevation to national park status, that will hand down its recommendation in 2008.

Barmah is currently managed for timber cutting, but Mr Roberts said tourism could replace the entire income from logging.

"It costs the government more to manage logging than the income they get from licences," he said.

"We can do far better with this area and far better for the region's tourism."

Parrot threatened by River Red Gum logging

April 21 2006

The only Victorian breeding site for a nationally threatened bird was being logged despite illegal logging in the same area only months ago, the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) has said.

The Barmah forest, on the Murray River near Echuca, is the last breeding site in the state for the superb parrot and is a wetland of international significance.

VNPA spokesperson Nick Roberts said the superb parrot was under threat by River Red Gum logging in its wetland habitat.

"Just months after the Victorian Government admitted to illegally logging a special protection zone within the Barmah forest on the River Murray, John Thwaites is allowing logging to restart in the internationally significant wetlands." Mr Roberts said the VNPA was calling on Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell to ensure logging ended to protect the superb parrot.

"Unlike other recently highlighted possible threats to threatened species, logging in this area has already resulted in a major loss of parrot habitat.

"John Thwaites is failing in his responsibility to protect the last Victorian breeding site for this bird, Senator Campbell must act to ensure the species is properly protected."

He said the VNPA was also calling for Barmah and other significant red gum forests and wetlands along the Murray to become national parks to ensure their full protection for future generations.

"Only new national parks will guarantee full protection of these areas and the threatened species they support. An immediate moratorium on all logging in or near superb parrot breeding areas will ensure interim protection."

Logging creates fears for parrot

There is concern logging in the Barmah State Forest in northern Victoria is threatening a rare species of parrot.

The Bird Observers Club says the State Government has allowed logging in a special protection zone set aside as breeding habitat for superb parrots.

The club's Andrew Chapman says the parrot is on a list of threatened fauna, and the area is the only recognised nesting site for the parrot in Victoria.

"This is important breeding habitat and a lot of groups have worked towards setting this aside and it's a bird that's protected under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, or intended to be protected, and it's also got a listing with the Commonwealth under the EPBC [Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation] Act, so it really was a gross 'vandalistic' act," he said.

Papers outline grazing damage

April 3 2006

Millions of taxpayer dollars will be wasted if cattle grazing continues in Murray River red gum forests and wetlands, papers released by the Royal Society of Victoria last week reveal.

Victorian National Parks Association spokesman Nick Roberts said the papers outlined clear scientific evidence that grazing was damaging the sensitive areas and also spotlights internal conflicts between government agencies involved in management of the internationally significant Barmah wetlands.

"The scientific evidence of ongoing damage to these internationally significant areas is conclusive," Mr Roberts said.

"The Bracks Government must now act, or risk further damage to countless threatened plant and animal species."

The Barmah forest near Echuca is one of six significant ecological assets where governments are investing more than $500 million dollars to improve their environmental health.

The Royal Society of Victoria publication has scientific papers showing grazing causes damage to habitats and loss of biodiversity of frogs, birds and plants and contributes to the spread and prevalence of exotic grasses and weeds.

Parrot threatened by River Red Gum logging

April 21 2006

Riverine Herald

The only Victorian breeding site for a nationally threatened bird was being logged despite illegal logging in the same area only months ago, the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) has said.

The Barmah forest, on the Murray River near Echuca, is the last breeding site in the state for the superb parrot and is a wetland of international significance.

VNPA spokesperson Nick Roberts said the superb parrot was under threat by River Red Gum logging in its wetland habitat.

"Unlike other recently highlighted possible threats to threatened species, logging in this area has already resulted in a major loss of parrot habitat.

"John Thwaites is failing in his responsibility to protect the last Victorian breeding site for this bird, Senator Campbell must act to ensure the species is properly protected."

He said the VNPA was also calling for Barmah and other significant red gum forests and wetlands along the Murray to become national parks to ensure their full protection for future generations.

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