South East Forest Rescue has been advocating for more protections for the endangered greater gliders. Photo: WWF-Australia.
The NSW Environmental Protection Authority has lodged 29 charges against the NSW Forestry Corporation over a long-running controversy surrounding the logging of endangered greater glider habitat in Tallaganda State Forest.
Logging in the forest 20 km southeast of Canberra was suspended in 2023 when the EPA found a dead greater glider 50 metres from a logging camp, triggering a long-running investigation.
The EPA announced the charges last week.
“Following a detailed investigation, the EPA has filed 29 charges against FCNSW in the Land and Environment Court.”
“The EPA alleges these actions contravened conditions of the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (CIFOA), the Forestry Act 2012, and the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.”
All 29 charges have yet to be made public; however, an EPA spokesperson stated that they are related to alleged failures by the FCSW to adequately search for den trees, replacement hollow-bearing trees, and damage to the habitat of a threatened species.
“It is alleged that between August 2021 and January 2024, FCNSW conducted forestry operations in seven compartments of Tallaganda State Forest without properly identifying and protecting habitat for the endangered southern greater glider,” the spokesperson said.
These charges are seen as a major win for conservation groups such as South East Forest Rescue, which has been campaigning to end logging in the forest for several years.
President Scott Daines said he was happy but not surprised to hear that charges had been brought against the corporation.
“I had a little scream. I mean, we knew they were going to be charged … we figured that from our looking at the forest. We knew there were many breaches there.”
Several environmental groups have alleged that the FCNSW conducts inappropriate surveys of habitat areas when searching for protected species.
According to Mr Daines, 29 charges don’t represent the full scope of FCNSW logging infractions.
“We seem to be finding like 15 to 16 times more den trees than forestry, so it’s an ongoing thing, but they’re not really adequately searching,” Mr Daines said.
This is not the first time the corporation has faced legal trouble in recent years, having been issued stop-work orders and fines for logging protected trees.
WWF Dr Kita Ashman standing amid logging remnants in Tallaganda. Photo: WWF
The NSW Forestry Corporation was contacted for comment, but stated that, given the matter was before the courts, it would not be appropriate to comment.
Greens MP Sue Higginson, who has strongly criticised the FCNSW in the past, said the charges are nothing new.
“Tallaganda is not an isolated case. This prosecution is important, but more Tallagandas are happening every day across the state, often with no action taken at all,” she said.
“For every case that ends up in court, there are dozens more where illegal logging goes unchecked.”
Ms Higginson has been one of the leading political voices against native forest logging in the South East in recent years. For her, no level of native forest logging is acceptable.
“Native forest logging is not just a crime against nature; it is a crime against the community. It is time for Premier Minns to end this industry once and for all,” she said.
“Until then, the Forestry Corporation will keep breaking the law, forests will keep being destroyed, and the public will keep paying the price.”
Tallaganda State Forest is considered by conservationists to be critical in protecting the endangered greater glider.
The forest is one of the few areas of glider habitat in the South East that managed to remain largely unburned following the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires.
The 29 charges have been filed in court and are listed for mention on Friday, 10 October.
