AUGUST looms as an important month for an ePetition that aims to end native forest logging in NSW and save habitat for animals like the Greater Glider.
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South Coast resident Takesa Frank, who was a former Shoalhaven City Council candidate, started the petition and hopes to get 20,000 signatures by the start of August.
Her aim is to get the issue debated in NSW Parliament - see the petition here.
The petitioners are asking the NSW Government to:
- Develop a plan to transition the native forestry industry to 100% sustainable plantations by 2024.
- In the interim, place a moratorium on public native forest logging until the regulatory framework reflects the recommendations of the leaked NRC report.
- Immediately protect high-conservation value forests through gazettal in the National Parks estate.
- Ban use of native forest materials as biomass fuel.
The petition comes around the same time as NSW Greens MP, Cate Faehrmann visited what is rated as a highly important block of land in Mayanna and an announcement by the Federal Government that the Greater Glider's status has been upgraded from vulnerable status to endangered.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced the once common greater glider's upgrading from vulnerable status during a recent tour of conservation efforts at the Australian National University in Canberra.
A $1.69 million government rescue package is already in place which includes the installation of artificial tree hollows and targeted revegetation, but the conservation group WWF-Australia said the endangered listing is one step closer to extinction and must be followed by urgent legislative action to protect their forest home.
Ms Plibersek said the listing will ensure recovery actions are prioritised.
"The threatened species scientific committee has recommended to 'uplist' the southern and central greater gliders from vulnerable to endangered. I have accepted this recommendation," Ms Plibersek said.
