THE North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) launched its ‘Save Oldgrowth Trees’ campaign last Friday to pressure the NSW Government to implement its own scientific advice to protect and restore old growth trees throughout State Forests in response to the widespread losses of tree hollows in the 2019/20 wildfires.

To launch the campaign NEFA supporters gathered outside the electoral offices of Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh at 10am to publicise their support for the immediate implementation of the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) recommendations.

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Spokesperson Dailan Pugh said, “Before the 2019/20 wildfires, land clearing and logging had already decimated old growth trees, leaving large areas of forests without enough hollows to maintain populations of the most vulnerable hollow-dependent species.”

He said 174 of NSW’s animal species depend on old growth trees for dens, nests and roosts.

“The fires made this into a housing crisis,” he said.

“Trees don’t develop hollows until they are very old, so it will take a long-time to restore the hollows lost in the fires, necessitating urgent action to retain the oldest trees left so they can develop replacement hollows relatively quickly.

“Hollows begin to form in trees when they are 120-180 years old, and it takes over 220 years before they develop the large hollows required by many animal species.

“In response to the extensive loss of hollow-bearing trees in the 2019-20 wildfires, in June 2021 the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) recommended to the NSW Ministers for Environment and Forestry that they urgently change the logging rules for State forests to begin restoring hollow-bearing trees.”

The NRC recommended that where there are not eight hollow-bearing trees per hectare, retaining the next largest trees to make up the balance of the eight trees, and for each of these trees retaining two ‘recruitment’ trees that have the potential to become the hollow-bearing trees of the future.

Mr Pugh said, “Almost a year later the NSW Government has done nothing to implement the NRC recommendations and address the urgent housing crisis for hollow-dependent animals.

“With enough community support, NEFA’s campaign to Save Oldgrowth Trees could convince the NSW Government to implement its own scientific advice,” he said.

Member for Coffs Habour Gurmesh Singh said, “There was a small group of demonstrators at my office last week asking for changes to the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (IFOA)”.

“It is my understanding that, due to the extent and severity of the 2019/20 bushfires, Forestry Corp has voluntarily put in place additional environmental requirements over and above the Coastal IFOA”.

“That includes additional hollow bearing tree retention.”

NEFA’s campaign asks Members of Parliament and citizens to write to the NSW Minister for Environment, James Griffin, and Forestry, Dugald Saunders, to immediately adopt the NRC’s post-fire recommendations.

NEFA have a webpage for its Save Oldgrowth Trees campaign with a video, background and Ministers’ details.

By Andrew VIVIAN