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 Red Gum in the Moira Flora Reserve. Great News! Red Gum National Parks Are Now Law.
In a dramatic end to an epic and exhausting struggle, on 20th May 2010, the NSW Upper House passed a Bill that immediately protects the entire Millewa forest and fully implements the National Park recommendations of the Natural Resources Commission.
This victory has been achieved through the hard work and unwavering support of numerous people over many years. Every action, every email, every phone call, every donation - it all counts.
It has led us to this historic and momentous occasion - which combines a tremendous environmental decision with historic social justice outcomes for Traditional Owners. It comes after the NSW Government amended its previous decision at the eleventh hour, increasing protected areas and dropping transitional logging.
The new national parks and other conservation reserves totalling over 107,000 hectares will come into full effect on 1 July 2010.
Key elements of the revised NSW Government decision, passed through Parliament on 20th May, include:
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There will be no 5-year transitional logging.
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All of the iconic Millewa forest will be protected immediately in a 42,000 ha National Park, protecting the largest red gum forest in Australia in a cross-border 70,000 ha Barmah-Millewa national park.
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Two large areas have been earmarked for direct transfer to Traditional Owners as Indigenous Protected Areas and these areas will be protected from logging pending their transfer to Traditional Owners.
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A joint management agreement will be developed with the Yorta Yorta Traditional Owners over the Millewa forest.
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Additional areas that will be protected in National Parks include areas along the Upper Murray, Murrumbidgee, Lower Murray and Wakool Rivers.
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More than $50M is allocated to support timber industry restructuring, and it is expected that 4 mills will exit and 2 mills will continue at reduced levels in the region.
- A total package of $97M is committed for industry restructuring and National Park management. This is a major investment in the Riverina region.
The Keneally Government deserves our thanks for creating these long-awaited Red Gum National Parks. Send a short message congratulating them on their action.
This final outcome on the River Red Gum forests has been applauded by the National Parks Association, Traditional Owners and 10 other major environment groups. See their press release here.
More Background Information
For more information about the red gums in Victoria and NSW, visit the the Cross Border Red Gum Icons campaign website.
Twelve Month Summary of Red Gum Progress
Over the last twelve months the forgotten Red Gum forests have finally taken their rightful place as the number one priority for urgent conservation action in NSW, and they have finally been delivered the secure protection that they need.
Below is a summary of the events of the last twelve months.
May 2009, the Federal Government ruled that Red Gum logging was in contravention of the Federal environment laws. They asked for logging to cease by 1st June 2009, but later bowed to pressure from the NSW Forestry Minister and allowed logging to continue.
1st June 2009, peaceful protestors did what the Federal Government had failed to do, taking direct action to stop the illegal logging of the Millewa Ramsar wetland in solidarity with Yorta Yorta Traditional Owners. The protest lasted 10 days and three protestors were arrested on charges of trespass and obstruction.
July 2009, former NSW Premier Bob Carr made an impassioned plea for the creation of large new Red Gum National Parks along the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers and a restructuring of the logging industry (see his opinion piece here).
August 2009, the NSW Government formally commissioned a regional forest assessment of the River Red Gum to be conducted by the Natural Resources Commission (an independent scientific body) under NSW forest laws (see their website here).
October/November 2009, biodiversity surveys revealed yet again the outstanding conservation significance of Red Gum forests, finding a new Squirrel Glider hotspot in the Millewa forest and recording six other threatened species as well.
November 2009, 57 scientists wrote an open letter to the NSW Premier calling for new River Red Gum National Parks and improved environmental flows (see media story here).
1st December 2009, three peaceful protestors were acquitted of charges of trespass and obstruction as a result of the blockade in June. The magistrate ruled that Forests NSW logging operations were unlawful and that the regulations used to charge the protestors were therefore invalid.
early December 2009, after receiving draft recommendations from the Natural Resources Commission, then NSW Premier Nathan Rees announced the creation of large new Red Gum National Parks. This included the full protection of the exceptional Millewa area in a 42,000 hectare National Park (see coverage here ).
mid December 2009, an environment group, NSW Red Gum Forest Action, lodged legal proceedings against River Red Gum logging, fearing more logging in the areas earmarked for National Parks and amidst attempts to reverse Mr Rees decision. The case has commenced and will go to a hearing some time in mid-2010.
late December 2009, the final report of the Natural Resources Commission was released recommending the secure protection of 109,000 hectares of Red Gum forests (including the full Millewa block) and major increases in environmental water (see final recommendations here), and fully vindicating the decision by Premier Rees to create large new National Parks.
late January 2010, Greens MLC Ian Cohen referred the logging department (Forests NSW) and the NSW Forestry Minister to the NSW Auditor General for illegal and unsustainable Red Gum logging over the last two decades (see his media release here).
2nd February 2010, On World Wetlands Day the NPA urged the Federal Government to have the Central Murray Red Gum Ramsar site listed on the Montreux Register as a site in ecological danger.
2nd March 2010, as a Red Gum protest unfolds outside her office, the new Premier, Kristina Keneally, and her Government backflip on their previous promise to fully protect the Millewa forest. They announce that the promised Millewa National Park will be chopped in half - and the eastern half will be left open for five years of intensive logging.
3rd March 2010, environment groups are united in their opposition to the incredibly weak decision by the NSW Government, condemning the short-sightedness of the policy backflip particularly in comparison to the positive action taken by the Victorian Government to protect River Red Gum in 2009.
26th March 2010, environment groups meet with Yorta Yorta Traditional Owners and NSW Greens MP Ian Cohen and take a trip out on Country to the Millewa area left open to logging. The groups call for the March Red Gum decision to be overturned and for Millewa to be protected immediately.
20th May 2010, the NSW Government varies its decision and fully protects the Millewa forest immediately by dropping the five-year transition. An amended River Red Gum Bill is passed through both houses of Parliament, with the final vote, 21-16 for the Bill, in the Upper House at 3.15am on the morning of the 20th May.
Findings of the Natural Resources Commission
The final report of the Natural Resources Commission found that:
- A total of 109,000 hectareas of State Forests should be transferred to secure protected areas with the majority recommended as National Parks or Indigenous Protected Areas (this left 35,000 hectares as State Forest available for logging).
- An extra 1,200GL of environmental flows is required for the Murray River to ensure the health of River Red Gum forests.
- There should be far greater involvement of Indigenous Traditional Owners in future management of River Red Gum forests.
- Red Gum logging is unsustainable and has been for decades. The forests have been severely over-cut. Even without reserves, log volumes must decrease by 70%.
See the final report here .
Red Gum Reserve Decision
On Thursday, 3rd December, in a historic decision, the NSW Government announced the protection of the Millewa, Barooga, Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Red Gum forests (see SMH story here).
NPA, other conservation groups and Indigenous nations praised the decision (see media release here).
Yet those opposed to the decision are trying to have it reversed (see recent SMH story here). It is important that the new Premier, Kristina Keneally, honours the decision in full.
The announcement included the creation of a 42,000 hectare National Park covering the entire Millewa block of forests - the largest and most significant Red Gum forest in NSW.
It also included a $48M restructuring package for the timber industry.
Scientists Speak Out on Red Gum
Fifty-seven prominent scientists from across the country united recently to urge the NSW Government to create extensive new National Parks and to deliver much improved environmental water allocations to River Red Gum wetlands.
They sent an open letter to Premier Rees which highlighted the importance of reservation of the entire Central Murray Ramsar site, covering the Millewa, Koondrook-Perricoota and Werai blocks, as being crucial to the success of landscape scale conservation outcomes.
See the full story in the Sydney Morning Herald here.
Results of biodiversity surveys
Recent surveys have highlighted once again the outstanding conservation significance of Red Gum forests in south-western NSW.
The surveys were conducted for the National Parks Association of NSW by an independent ecologist and were funded by the Taronga Conservation Society of Australia through their Conservation Field Grants program.
The surveys identified a new Squirrel Glider hotspot, covering the eastern part of the internationally significant Millewa forest and adjoining areas.
The Squirrel Glider is a threatened species that needs large old hollow-bearing trees to nest and take shelter.
The surveys also recorded two very significant findings of resident pairs of the Powerful Owl and Barking Owl in the Upper Murray forests. Both of these species rely on hollows for nesting.
Other important species recorded during the survey included the Koala, Gilberts Whistler, Superb Parrot and Diamond Firetail.
The surveys confirmed the exceptional conservation significance of the Millewa block of forests and the forests extending upstream from there.
This is a refuge area that clearly needs to be protected to enable numerous species to survive the combined threats posed by climate change, over-allocated rivers, industrial logging and intensive grazing.
Preliminary Assessment Report
The Natural Resources Commission released a Preliminary Assessment Report on the River Red Gum Forests and Woodlands of the Riverina bioregion on the 30th September 2009.
To see our detailed submission to the Preliminary Report, which identifies a number of serious failings and calls for major improvements in the final report, click here.
For more information on the Red Gum assessment process, and a copy of the Preliminary Report, click here .
Background
River Red Gum wetlands on the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers of south-western NSW are unique to the planet. The Barmah-Millewa and Koondrook-Perricoota forests are two of the largest contiguous Red Gum forests left in the world.
River Red Gum wetlands provide an irreplaceable refuge for plants and animals in one of the most heavily cultivated and poorly protected landscapes in Australia.
This region is known to provide habitat for at least 69 plants and animals threatened with extinction, including species such as the Barking Owl, Regent Parrot and Southern Bell Frog.
Vast tracts of Red Gum are already under severe stress and are dying as a result of changed water regimes, yet they are still being targeted for intensive logging, patch clear felling and grazing.
The destruction of these unique wetland forests is not delivering a good economic outcome.
A recent report by independent economic consultants shows that a much greater economic return would be derived from protecting the River Red Gum forests then is currently being derived by exploiting them. In fact, taxpayers are unknowingly paying to have these precious forests destroyed due to indirect subsidies from the NSW Government to the logging industry.
The majority of red gum that is logged (more than 80%) is used only for low value products such as firewood, fence posts and railway sleepers.
What is the NPA team doing?
ACTION!
How you can help
- Campaign with us to prevent logging in the promised Millewa National Park.
- Donate to NPA so we can continue this valuable work.
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