MEDIA RELEASE 29 October 1998

Eden Forests Decision

Robs Forests further North ?

The South East Forest Alliance today expressed its concern that the Eden Forests decision may have prejudiced the best reserve outcome for the South Coast forests and extended the activities of the ravenous woodchip company Harris Daishowa north from Eden.

"We have written urgently to the Premier re the exact source of the extra 2000m3 of sawlogs which are to be taken from the Southern Region for Eden sawmills", said Pauline Nolan, of Coastwatchers.

"There has been no consultation with us on this even though we have been extensively involved in the regional forest assessment process for the southern region."

"We will have to reconsider our involvement in a process that does not respect agreed regional boundaries. We will be outraged if there is any suggestion that woodchips will also be sourced from the same operation, this would mean that Eden style clearfelling would be on its way for the South Coast."

"This decision pre-empts the regional assessment for Southern Region, including the South Coast Forests, and further undermines our confidence in Bob Carr's forest reforms", said Andrew Wong of the Wilderness Society.

"The Premier has refused to even create some interim parks of classic wilderness and high conservation value coastal areas for the forests between Nowra and Narooma before the next election. It was claimed that this would 'pre-empt the process' but every other region got interim parks in 1996 and the timber industry, including on the South Coast, got interim contract quotas"

"We are the orphan of the process and our forests are being held hostage to the government's re-election."

For further comment: Pauline Nolan 02 4457 1404 Andrew Wong 02 6249 6491


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