Letter to:

Review of the Code of Practice for Timber Production,
Forests and Parks Division,
Department of Sustainability & Environment,
PO Box 500,
East Melbourne, VIC 3002

Dear Sir,

We object most strongly to the changes to the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act permitting the secretary of the Department of Sustainability & Environment to overrule the Act to enable logging of coupes under the Code of Forest Practice for increased timber production and by so doing deceive the public into believing that the Act still protects valuable old growth forest from destruction.

Prescriptions for logging activities in the Code include:

• exclusions of rainforests from timber harvesting
• wildlife protection
• protection of landscape values

Clearfell logging in Melbourne’s native forest water supply catchment results in less water production when Ash forests are logged over an 80 year rotation cycle. Ash forests occupy about 50% of the catchment area and yield about 80% of the water run-off. These forests therefore are of strategic strategic importance for Melbourne’s water supply but are unfortunately in the areas targeted for logging. Proposals to continue logging in water supply catchments indicates a regrettable lack of understanding of the predicted impact of climate change on Victoria’s water supply.

We trust that pressure from vested interests will not result in the proposed destructive changes to the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.

Mary Rimington OAM
Secretary
MBCL