DEAR News Of The Area,

IN response to the article featured on Friday 3 November 2023 in the Nambucca Valley News Of The Area, ‘‘Alarming’ Logging’, I would like to make the following points.

It concerns me that this article contained misinformation and showed ignorance towards the timber industry.

Since the bushfires of 2019 there has been very limited logging in the Nambucca LGA because after the fires, all state forest contractors were directed to harvest plantation timbers not native logging in our LGA.

No harvest crews have been working in the Nambucca LGA over the last eight to ten weeks.

As there has been reduced logging activity to pre-2019, it’s hard to believe these statements.

All operators must have completed a course in: Biodiversity and silviculture, Soil and water conservation, Cultural heritage and Coastal integrated forest operations approval.

As far as the fire situation, it is largely in the hands of the National Parks and the green minded movements as 88 percent of all public estate is under the guidance of National Parks or such entities.

Forest practices hold twelve percent of the public forestry estate of which 0.03 percent is logged annually.

Operations within the areas available for timber production are carefully planned in line with Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval, which sets strict environmental conditions and is independently regulated by the Environment Protection Authority.

There are public websites available with information regarding logged and planning areas should people care to read the facts.

Yours sincerely,
Matt DYER,
Owner/Operator,
Bowraville Sawmill.