Protection for East Gippsland’s giant trees are being reviewed by the Dept
Years ago the govt announced trees over 12.6m circumf would be protected. All those 6-700yo trees under this size have been felled. At last the the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is looking to increase safeguards for large old trees. maybe just protect all old growth is the answer. Giving one tree a 20 m buffer is failry pointless ecolcogically.
The Dept’s review of its regulations also found problems with the definition used for Cool Temperate Mixed Forest (emergent rainforest).
Thanks to GECO documenting logging breaches earlier this year.
The govt investigation found no breaches at the time (convenient) but that ‘rules may require adjustment in order to reflect community expectations and ensure appropriate management of important environmental values’. A positive move.
Peter Beaumont from DELWP said there is no specific protection required for large old trees in East Gippsland. However there is. But is rarely if ever applied!
Mr Beaumont said an independent consultant had been engaged to provide a third-party assessment of DELWP’s forest management framework review.
One recommendation is to ‘establish clear prescriptions around how NON-TARGET tree species should be protected’ during logging. A VERY worrying statement – as it could mean that this applies only to trees not targetted by the loggers – the non-commercial trees which rarely grow to immense sizes. We’ll have to clarify this. Could it be typical government geasy-speak?