Careful planning and controls required to ensure sustainability of forestry Myall Coast Myall Coast - popup ad Myall Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - March 12, 2024 Noel Atkins of the Resources, Energy and Environment Foundation spoke to Bulahdelah residents on the hardwood industry. A RECENT presentation in Bulahdelah by Noel Atkins, Director of the Resources, Energy and Environment Foundation, highlighted the need for careful planning and controls to ensure the sustainability of the native timber industry into the future. Native hardwood forests provide timber for uses beyond the housing industry, with construction, infrastructure, mining and related industries all utilising the resource. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Official numbers show that while twelve percent of forests are available for timber production, a maximum of two percent is harvested annually. Calls have intensified recently for a stop to native forestry, with significant protests taking place along the NSW east coast in recent months. Forestry representatives say stopping the industry would have a devastating effect on the many communities who rely on the hardwood industry for jobs. The NSW industry contributes over $2.9 billion to the state’s economy and offers 8900 direct jobs and 22000 in the various supply chains. “In Bulahdelah it’s all hardwood native forest and we’ve been logging in the Myall Lakes area as early as the 1860s,” said Bulahdelah’s Kevin Carter, a former manager of Forestry and National Parks NSW. “These areas have been logged about four times. “Forestry only logs a fairly minute area so you might be lucky to be logging one to two percent in any one year,” said Mr Carter. By John SAHYOUN
