Durras residents are concerned logging debris near the Princes Highway in the Boyne State Forest could fuel a large fire.
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ChipBusters forest campaign member Noel Plumb and Friends of Durras convenor John Perkins said the debris next to the highway was a ‘fire hazard for decades to come’.
“They haven’t done the post logging burns, but they are also drying out the forest with this intensive logging,” Mr Plumb said.
“When you do get the regrowth from the post logging burn, it is a fire hazard for decades to come. It is a fire bomb waiting to go off.
“It has created an enormous additional fire risk. Termeil, North Durras, South Durras, Long Beach and Maloneys Beach are all threatened, as well as the iconic Murramarang National Park and Lake Durras.”
Mr Plumb said it was too late to complete burn offs in time for the fire season that is already upon us.
He said it was concerning that an area so close to the highway had been logged.
“They normally maintain site screens, or a visual amenity, from the highway, but here it comes right up to the highway,” he said.
“This just shows that the forests are so over logged and they can’t meet the quotas.”
Mr Perkins believed no habitat trees were left in the logged areas.
“Habitat trees are a vital component to a healthy forest. This is war zone on native wildlife,” he said.
“It’s not only our communities at risk but this intensive logging, mainly for wood chips, is a disaster for forest wildlife.
“It removes most of the older trees with hollows, which are essential for such benchmark species as the Greater Glider and the Yellow Bellied Glider.”
He was worried about the fire risk.
“There is a greater risk of fire ignition by lighting strike in a logged forest,” Mr Perkins said.
“It is only going to get worse. They are logging unsustainably.”
Mr Plumb said he would like to see Forestry stop native forest logging.
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