Forestry Corporation NSW Issued Fines of More Than $350K Over 3 Years
Updated: Jan 18
Forestry Corporation NSW is a NSW-state owned corporation which provides roughly 14% of Australia's overall timber production annually. In recent years, they have been fined on several occasions over issues of logging operation non-compliance and have been protested by local community groups.
Logging Operation Non-Compliance
In March of 2020 it was reported that Forestry Corporation had continued to fell unburnt forest in the aftermath of the state's recent bush fires, which serve as habitat for some of the state's most vulnerable species.
In March of 2021 the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued two breach notices consisting of fines totalling $33,000 to Forestry Corporation for allegedly not including the critically endangered Swift Parrot records in planning for operations. The EPA also delivered three official cautions for an alleged failure by Forestry Corporation to mark-up eucalypt feed trees which serve an essential food source for the parrot before beginning logging operations.
In April of 2022 the EPA issued Forestry Corporation with three penalty infringement notices, totalling $45,000 in fines for destroying hollow bearing trees in the Mogo State Forest in 2020. These trees serve as a vital habitat for various endangered species.
Karangi Protest
Roughly forty residents of Karangi held a peaceful protest on the 28th of September against Forestry Corporation's plans to fell the Orara East State Forest. Logging operations in the area are expected to begin over the next few months across roughly 100 hectares of native forest and 40 hectares of hardwood timber.
Karangi residents had previously reported sightings of koalas and other significant species in the area. Furthermore, the protesting group, the "Friends of Karangi Forest, claimed that only 3 out of the 10 residents with adjacent properties to the logging area were notified of Forestry Corporation's intentions.
A Forestry Corporation spokesperson stated that all direct neighbours of the logging area had been notified about the intended operations. Furthermore, they stated that significant areas of Karangi's forests will be reserved for wildlife habitat, with only a portion of the native forest being harvested, and that there are strict conditions which regulate timber harvesting.
Sources & Further Reading
https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/about/who-we-are
https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/karangi-residents-protest-logging-plans