DEAR News Of The Area,

IN response to the unprecedented devastating bushfires of 2019/20, the NSW Government received scientific advice as to how best to respond, to minimize the impact on our natural heritage.

At least 174 NSW animal species depend on mature trees for their survival.

Previous logging had already decimated old growth tree numbers, but then the fires came along and took out a lot more.

During and just after the fires in the Kalang Head Waters, over a hundred old habitat trees were cut down deliberately by Forestry Corporation NSW.

The fires created a housing crisis for many creatures depending on hollows for nesting, dens, and roosts.

Hollows begin to form when trees are about 120 to 180 years old, so it will take a long time to restore these lost hollows.

Urgent action is needed to ensure that the oldest trees are left so they can develop hollows relatively quickly.

Where there are not eight hollow bearing trees left per hectare, the Natural Resources Commission recommended retaining the next biggest trees, so there will be more in the future.

The NSW Government has done nothing to implement these recommendations nearly a year after the report they commissioned, was released.

This is not good enough.

Without homes many of these iconic Australian animals will become extinct.

The very rare yellow bellied gliders, greater gliders, glossy black cockatoos, powerful owls, sooty owls, masked owls and microbats, just to name a few.

Voters have shown they want climate action and environmental protection.

With only ten months before a state election, it is time now for us to take action and approve the Kalang Headwaters Protection Proposal and move towards the establishment of the Great Koala National Park.

Healthy native forests will provide a future for all.

Ecotourism, secure protection for endangered native species and water security will be the winners for our future generations.

Regards,
Louise CRANNY,
Bellingen.