Green light

By Kath Gannaway
While VicForests says the Timber Release Plans reduce the number of coupes available for harvesting, environment groups have labelled figures on coupes added and coupes removed ‘another example of the company’s obfuscation’.
TRPs for Central Highlands region have 115 coupes added with 380 couple removed.
In Toolangi, the figures are 23/22, Marysville 10/54, Powelltown 15/23 and Alexandra 24/23. Coupes in the water catchments are 46 added with 147 removed.
VicForests explained that coupes are removed from the plans once they have been harvested and successfully regenerated, or if they are not planned for harvest during the period referred to by the TRPs.
VicForests CEO David Pollard said the outcome provided certainty for VicForests, their contractors and their customers and allowed future harvesting plans to be developed.
‘It is vitally important to note that the approval of the plans will not increase the amount of timber harvesting taking place in Victoria,’ he said.
He said the total area of State Forest available for harvesting on the new plans had reduced by more than 7000 hectares in the Central Highlands region.
He said as a result of public submissions coupes on the lower slopes of Mt St Leonards in Toolangi had been removed.
Yarra Valley environment groups MyEnvironment and Healesville Environment Watch Inc (HEWI) say the only possible positive interpretation of the TRPs is that the number of coupes removed may indicate some progress towards addressing what they claim is a massive regeneration backlog.
HEWI president Steve Meacher said the figures should not be taken as a positive move for the future of Victoria’s native forests.
‘At best, it may be seen as a slightly smaller step in the wrong direction than it might otherwise have been without strong community intervention,’ he said.
‘The bottom line is that yet another 115 native forest coupes have been made available to VicForests for destruction in the next few years.
‘This is in addition to those already approved in previous TRP amendments,’ he said.
Sarah Rees of MyEnvironment said people needed to be aware of what ‘removed’ meant in the context of TRPs.
She said many were removed because they had already been logged. Others, she said, were removed if they were not planned for harvest during the period.
‘Scheduled coupes 14 months away from being clear-felled are defined as removed under this definition,’ she said.
Given that the original request to DSE was for 148 coupes and 115 have been added, Mr Meacher said only 33 failed to gain DSE approval.
‘This is a disappointing result given the overwhelming public objection to VicForests’ proposal,’ he said.
‘Even the conservative Shire of Murrindindi asked for a 50 per cent reduction,’ he added.
Mr Pollard said consultation was a vital part of the TRP evaluation process and moved to reassure that all submission from the community were provided to DSE to assist in their decision.