The information being provided to shire’s residents is very selective and not allowing those interested in the planned project to make fully informed judgements, particularly in relation to any sort of believable business plan and future annual ratepayer subsidies.

Doing away with the mini golf – a genuine family asset - is in my opinion a particularly backward step for the area.

Council in my opinion needs to stop and reconsider where it thinks is going with the concept. At the present time it shouldn’t be supported in any of the concept forms being presented, even if a new concept “D” is generated.

The community can’t afford the ongoing liabilities that will be associated. More genuine community involvement is needed if council is to move forward with it all, taking the community with it.

The first objective of the NSW Forestry Corporation is to “Be a successful business”.

The economics of logging steep hillsides in a forestry compartment surrounded by declared wilderness just don’t stack up. These magnificent native forests are worth far more to Australia as unlogged carbon sinks.

With no discernable commercial benefits there are serious adverse effects:

 the iconic and much loved Corn Trail is located immediately adjacent to the now-devastated forest;

 the Corn Trail is under current consideration for inclusion on the State Heritage Register;

 based on previous research in NSW forests up to 200 vulnerable greater gliders are almost certain to die as a result of the logging;

 the rare spotted quoll, recently seen in the area, will also be put at risk; 

 run-off from logging these steep slopes has the potential to contaminate water quality of the Buckenbowra and Clyde Rivers;

 post-logging burns due later in the year pose a threat to the surrounding ancient cool climate rain forest, the source of these cloud-fed rivers.

Friends of Mongarlowe River, a group initiated by Judith Wright more than 30 years ago, fought successfully to create Monga National Park which surrounds the logging area.

With Friends of the Forest and the Forest Embassy, we call for

1. An immediate halt to logging operations; and

2. Reclassification of compartment no. 517 - which has already sustained heavy losses - and the adjacent no. 516, as Preserved Forest Area; and

3. A process to incorporate these forests into the bordering Buckenbowra Wilderness Area (Monga National Park).

Locals are hopping mad about the destruction of this precious State asset. The fact that native forest can be logged in this wilderness area is deplorable.

The opportunity exists for major political parties to claw back some of the growing environment vote by taking a principled stand on this critical issue.