NEW evidence has come to light of koala activity less than two kilometers of the current logging activity in the Bermagui State Forest.
National Park ranger Greg Watts, who also is a part-time Landcare officer for the Eurobodalla Shire Council, was conducting surveys in Gulaga National Park 10 months ago when he came across a young male koala on a track.
He was able to photograph the koala before it wandered off casually into the forest, and he said its parents would probably also be in the area.
The sighting took place just north of the Bermagui-Cobargo Road within close proximity of the current logging activity in the Bermagui State Forest.
Surveys conducted by the Five Forests groups had also located Koala scat and tracks as far south as the Murrah and Tanja.
“They are very secretive and males like this are quite territorial,” Mr Watts said.
Koalas have historically been quite common in the area according local Mal Dibden of Tilba Tilba, who serves on the Gulaga National Park board of management.
Mr Dibden has lived in the area since 1948 and said sightings were reasonably common in the Dignams Creek area as well to the west in the Kooraban National Park, which gets it name from the Aboriginal word for Koala.
Koalas also used to be common within the township of Bermagui including on Aub Hosking’s property on the Bermagui River downstream from the school, as well as further down the river at the Crossing education centre.
Mr Dibden said he had concerns about the impact of the logging on erosion that could impact on the Bermagui River and its tourism and oyster farm, while the sanctuary zones at Meads Bay could also be impacted on as did the Long Swamp significant wetland.
He said he was not against logging but that he failed to understand the merits of logging an area that should be a wilderness gateway to the area.
He acknowledged logging did historically take place since Bermagui was founded in the 1830s with the old sawmill near the site of the current 777 supermarket, but said the current technologies and methods could not be compared to the old bullock teams and hand saws.
“It should not be logged and is a national icon,” Mr Dibden said.
Bermagui harvest area closed to the public
Two forest compartments in Bermagui State Forest that will be harvested over the next three months will be closed to the public for safety reasons.
“The harvesting contractors will be using heavy machinery to snig logs to loading areas where they will be debarked and placed on trucks,” said Forests NSW Southern Region manager Ian Barnes.
“This can be a hazardous operation if there are people on the ground nearby.
“The forest closure is a precaution when there is a potential safety risk to forest workers from people deliberately entering a harvest area.
“Only approved visitors to the site are permitted to enter the closed area.
“All approved visitors, including Forests NSW staff, have to undergo site inductions when they visit a new harvesting operation for the first time, as it is an industrial work site that requires adherence to stringent safety standards including the wearing of proper personal protection equipment.”
Forests NSW officers will issue penalty infringement notices to any person contravening the closure, Mr Barnes said. They may also be subject to police action.
The closed area will be clearly signposted and includes all of the two compartments where the harvest will be taking place about 2km north of Bermagui.
“This operation is in a State forest that has been sustainably harvested a number of times since it was re-established in the 1930s,” Mr Barnes said.
“At that time it was virtually clear-felled for the boatbuilding industry and other timber uses as it was close to the town.
“Since that time Forests NSW has used silvicultural techniques which have brought it to the high-standard spotted gum ecosystem that it is today.
“It will continue to be a spotted gum forest after this harvest providing the same suite of uses such as sawlog production, environmental habitat and recreation opportunities.
“These compartments will not be harvested again for another 15 or 20 years.”
Mr Barnes said the harvest began two weeks ago after harvest planning process was completed.
“The forest forms part of the timber supply provided for under the Eden Regional Forest Agreement between the NSW and Commonwealth governments,” Mr Barnes said.
“Thinning of the forest will yield essential high value sawlogs for industry in the southeast.”
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