By Jed Lanyon
A group of Yarra Valley residents have held community meetings to voice their concerns regarding potential new logging coupes in Warburton, which they fear will alter the town’s views of the landscape.
Jennifer Conway, one of the organisers of the meeting, said, “There has been no community consultation… The impact on wildlife, water supply to Big Pats Creek residents, increased fire risk and the amenity of Warburton is of great concern.”
Ms Conway said that she fears logging operations are set to take place as soon as February after one Big Pats Creek resident received a letter notifying them that the coupe would be located nearby the boundary of their property.
Ms Conway said that the group had already reported seeing a lot of activity along Smythes Creek Road as VicForests completes a reconstruction of a road to allow access for harvesters.
“People come up to ride their bikes in the forest and take walks. If you’re driving back to Warburton from the Redwood Forest, you’re going to be looking at a logging coupe,” she said.
Upon contacting VicForests, the state-owned harvester released information regarding the proposed logging coupe.
“VicForests is investigating the suitability of a coupe (Apu) in Warburton for harvest. As part of this process VicForests is consulting with the Warburton community and conducting surveys and studies of the area,” the report reads.
But Ms Conway said her attempts to contact VicForests for community consultation have been ignored.
“It’s just rubbish. They have not been extensively consulting at all. They’ve been very reluctant to engage whatsoever.”
The report assures that a visual analysis study using terrain and lidar (light detection and ranging) canopy data concluded that the harvested coupe would not be visible from the Warburton township, but states, “it may be possible to see the general area of the coupe from some isolated areas in East Warburton and Big Pats Creek.”
The report addressed community concerns regarding the increased risk of bushfire, stating that VicForests would be complying with the Bushfire Moderation Zone restrictions in the area, which requires no more than one per cent can be harvested within a five-year period.
“Following timber harvesting activity in this coupe, VicForests will work with Forest Fire Management Victoria to conduct controlled burning which will reduce the fuel hazard to below pre-harvest levels,” the report reads.
“There is not expected to be any impact on the water supply from VicForests’ harvesting activity… A High Conservation Values planning survey has been conducted on the main harvest area to ensure that areas with conservation requirements, such as threatened species, are protected.”
The report states that a DELWP conducted a Leadbeaters Possum Camera Trap survey and an Old Growth survey which did not detect any threatened species in the area.
For more information about the proposed Apu logging coupe, visit http://www.vicforests.com.au/planning-1/warburton-consultation.
