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A Tasmanian farmer says he is outraged over being given almost no notice of native forest logging next door, despite earlier being told the land was likely not a logging target.
Key points:
- A native forest coupe in southern Tasmania will be partially clear-felled by the state's forestry company, despite a neighbour getting assurances this was unlikely
- A habitat mapper says the coupe contains high- and medium-density habitat for the critically endangered swift parrot
- Sustainable Timber Tasmania says it engaged widely and planned carefully before getting a Forest Practices Plan for the coupe
Over a year ago, organic apple farmer Neil Fuller was told by the state's public forestry company that they were "unlikely" to log the native forest alongside his property, on the side of Mount Tongatabu in the state's far south.
He did not hear anything else about it until 4pm on October 27, when he received an email from Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) with a notice saying that logging would start the next day.
Attached was a Forest Practices Plan (FPP) detailing that forestry roads would be constructed and 19 hectares would be felled.
It came as a shock for Mr Fuller.
"We contacted STT several times asking for answers, and they weren't forthcoming with replies. We didn't receive any replies at all, until chainsaws were already operating in the coupe."
Mr Fuller first became aware of the potential logging through hearsay in 2021 and, worried about the loss of biodiversity on the land, he registered with STT as an interested stakeholder.
Forestry Watch — a citizen scientist organisation whose data is occasionally used by STT — carried out a habitat assessment in August 2021 on the coupe, which sits within the southern forests Swift Parrot
Important Breeding Area.