The River Red Gum forest in New South Wales’ Riverina, home to one of the largest ecosystems in Australia, has in recent times been turned into a political battleground between the NSW government and lobbyist groups, with the latest instalment announced on 20 May 2010 to turn the entire Millewa Forest into a national park.

This latest move by the State Government reverses an earlier decision on 2 March 2010, which promised to protect only some of the forest while leaving approximately half of area open to ‘Transition logging’ over the next five years.

Announcing the most recent decision, NSW Premier Kristina Kenneally said, “From July 1, we will protect more than 100,000 hectares of ancient trees and their invaluable ecosystems in its entirety.”

“As well as providing long term protection for the river red gums, the new parks will continue providing local residents and tourists with access to this special environment,” Kenneally said. “It will also ensure that land set aside as Indigenous Protected Areas will not be logged.”

The state government’s latest move marks the dramatic end to the national park saga. Located along the Murray River between the towns of Echuca, Deniliquin and Tocumwal, the forest is divided into two parts, the Barmah forest on the Victorian side and the Millewa Forest on the NSW side.

Biodiversity

The Barmah-Millewa forest – the largest Red Gum forest in Australia – plays host to a diverse range of species. According to the Natural Resources Commission, the forest supports ‘wetlands of international significance, significant breeding habitat for colonial and migratory wetland bird species listed under international migratory bird agreements, and various vegetation types which are habitat to more than 60 terrestrial animal species and 40 plant species listed as threatened. In addition, the area has strong cultural and social significance to indigenous groups.

However, logging of the red gums has threatened the forest’s biodiversity. The National Parks Association of NSW (NPANSW) says that ‘clear-felling, logging and grazing’ has led to a significant decline in the diversity of the forest. A report prepared for the NSW government also found that clear-felling was ‘incompatible with optimal habitat tree protection and recruitment’ and that ‘declines in average species richness of around 28% occur in forests that have been patch clear-felled in this manner.’

While Victoria has moved to protect the forest since December 2008, NSW has been slow to act. First approved in December 2009 by the outgoing NSW Premier Nathan Rees, he envisioned the creation of the park as part of his environmental legacy.

However, while the new Premier Kenneally, initially promised not to reverse Mr. Rees’ decision, in the end, she reneged on her word. On 2 March 2010, as protest unfolded outside her office, Premier Kenneally instead announced a plan that would allow red gum logging to continue in the Millewa forest.

That NSW government decision is starkly at odds with the upcoming World Environment Day 2010 on 5 June, which celebrates a biologically diverse world under the theme ‘Many Species, One Planet, One Future.’ And although the United Nations advises that biodiversity ‘contributes directly or indirectly to many aspects of our well-being’, the NSW government seemed keen to ignore this warning.

Conservation

After much condemnation from the public and environmental groups, on 20 May the NSW government finally reversed the decision, citing ongoing negotiations with the timber industry.

Frank Sartor, NSW Minister for Climate Change and the Environment said, “We have listened to industry, who told us they are prepared to cease logging sooner provided they have access to additional compensation”, as he announced a $97 million assistance package for the Riverina communities.

But fortunately, the ultimate winners of this political drama are the red gum eucalyptus trees that support the diverse ecosystem of the Millewa society. Quick to congratulate, Carmel Flint of the NPANSW says, “This is a fantastic conservation decision by Premier Keneally … it is a resounding environmental outcome, of national and international importance, that sees the largest River Red Gum forest in the world protected forever.”

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More information about this topic in our Flora & Fauna section

Further reading on River Red Gums:

http://www.npansw.org.au/web/conservation/western/redgum/index.htm

Written by Jethro Kang

Image Credit: Robert Pfeifer via Flickr Creative Commons