THE members of a NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the future of the forestry industry visited the Coffs Coast last week and held a public hearing in Coffs Harbour on Friday, 29 April.

One of the members, Independent NSW MP Justin Field, has previously called on NSW Forestry Minister Dugald Saunders to pause negotiations to extend North Coast logging contacts until the Government responds to a major report warning of “serious and irreversible” harm to the environmental values of the state’s public forests from the combined impacts of the 21019/20 fires and ongoing unsustainable logging.

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Mr Field said, “It is totally unacceptable for the Government to continue to ignore a report they commissioned, from their own specialist natural resources experts, that says business as usual is not possible when it comes to logging on the North Coast.”

The visit attracted the attention of environmentalists from the Coffs Coast and beyond.

Local conservationists John Pile and Ann Boyle, accompanied the committee on a morning tour of nearby forests.

Ms Boyle said they talked about the changes they have seen over the years and Mr Pile said, “We were talking with the committee about how unsustainable native forest logging is.”

Organiser Sean O’Shannessy, a North East Forest campaigner, told News Of The Area, “We’re here to show the community peacefully and joyfully that we are standing up to protect our native forests from the damage that is done by industrial logging.”

Mr Field addressed the demonstrators before the committee’s hearing.

“We’ve seen some of the best and the worst today,” he said.

“The best was the potential of the Great Koala National Park and the worst were the unsustainable practices.

“We know that those magnificent trees are worth so much more if left standing.”

He acknowledged the efforts of the crowd and said he was optimistic about the Great Koala National Park.

Mr Field finished by saying the report will require the Government to take action, and that it needs to be a Federal Election issue.

The demonstrators chanted “stand up for forests” at the end of his speech.

Dalian Pugh, OAM, told the crowd that surveys show 67 percent of Australians want no native forest logging.

He said most native forest timber is used for floorboards and we shouldn’t be cutting down koala feed trees to walk on.

Mr Pugh said, “Trees are the only proven method of capturing carbon.”

The crowd chanted “protect public native forests” and “Great Koala National Park” before dispersing.

Mark Graham, Managing Director of the Bellingen Nature Company, made one of the more than 200 submissions to the Inquiry.

The basis for his submission was that industrial logging of publicly owned native forests causes significant economic harm to the North Coast economy.

His reasons revolved around the damage done to the forests and water ways.

Mr Graham pointed out that nature-based tourism is amongst the fastest growing sectors of the economy and that tourists would be deterred from visiting the Coffs Coast by the increasing visual pollution of logged areas and spoiled waterways.

He cited damage to water supply from illegal logging activities and suggested that lifestyle and agriculture would be adversely affected by reduced water quality.

Mr Graham also submitted that industrial logging of native forests dries out forests and encourages weed growth, leading to more severe forest fires in the future.

The Inquiry has not yet set a date for its report.

By Andrew VIVIAN