Toolangi’s logging fight

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
RESIDENTS, community groups and Yarra Ranges Council want logging to stop immediately on Mt St Leonard in the Toolangi forest.
They claim loggers are removing trees they shouldn’t be, breaking the profile of the mountains by logging in excess and damaging the international reputation of the Bicentennial Track.
But the Department of Sustainability and Environment has palmed the responsibility off to VicForests, despite having the ultimate say on logging proposals.
Opponents of the logging are gathering for a community forum at 7pm on Thursday (24 June), at the Healesville Memorial Hall.
Healesville Environment Watch chairman Steve Meacher said a recently logged coupe of trees had created a rectangular chunk in the mountain visible from as far away as Steels Creek.
“It’s very visible from a huge distance, but they’re not supposed to break the profile of the mountains,” he said.
“There is an extraordinary amount of logging either going on or in planning.”
Mr Meacher, who is also the Greens candidate for McEwen, says tourism is suffering and the situation will get worse when the internationally-renowned Bicentennial Trail is closed for short-term profit.
“There have been tourists coming back through Healesville, who say they won’t come back because of the logging trucks,” he said.
“Tourists don’t want to see our forests getting carted off on trucks.”
Long-time Toolangi resident and environmental scientist Bernie Mace is heading the Save Mt St Leonard Group.
Mr Mace has been studying the fauna in his area for many years. He said the old growth forest that survived the bushfires last year led to the survival of many birds and animals, but that the green canopy was now being torn down for woodchips.
“When the logging started on the Monda Track on 27 May, there were territorial calls of the snowy owls with the sound of the chainsaws. I haven’t heard the owls since,” he said.
“The Mountain Ash store more carbon than any other species in the world – as soon as a price is put on carbon the best thing is to keep it.”
Yarra Ranges Council is also calling on the State Government to put an immediate halt to current logging and any future logging proposed on the Bicentennial Trail and Mt St Leonard.
Ryrie Ward councillor Jeanette McRae said: “Logging in these areas is destroying our beautiful natural environment.”
“Mt St Leonard is an iconic backdrop to the Yarra Valley and home to some of the state’s most important flora and fauna. It is totally inappropriate to log this area and will create a massive blight on our landscape,” she said.
A spokesperson from the DSE said VicForests have a timber release plan that currently extends to September 2011 that describes the areas – coupes – available for harvesting.
“Where possible VicForests incorporated community feedback into the proposed amendments to the Timber Release Plan. The proposed amendments have been sent, along with all community submissions, to DSE for approval,” the spokesperson said.
“Residents can contact VicForests with any ongoing concerns.”
VicForests made no comment.