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Otways- Regional News - May 2006

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Members of the Otway Conservation Council from
Warrnambool, the Otways and Geelong will attend the World Environment Day Rally for Forests this Sunday.
OTWAY CONSERVATION COUNCIL Inc - Media release Otways ; - May 06

Rally for Forests on World Environment Day. Letters to the editor, OTWAY CONSERVATION COUNCIL Inc Otways ; - May 06

******************* MEDIA RELEASE *****************
>
> Tuesday, 30 May 2006.
>
> Members of the Otway Conservation Council from
> Warrnambool, the Otways and Geelong will attend the
> World Environment Day Rally for Forests this Sunday.
>
>
> Members of the Council are angry that logging is
> still occurring in the Otways in areas of high
> conservation value and in water supply catchments.
>
> "The headwaters of the Aire River and the Holywater
> Creek catchment were left out of the new Great Otway
> National Park to allow logging of public native
> forest to supply the one remaining public forest
> logging licence-holder." said Stephen Chenery, Otway
> Conservation Council spokesperson.
>
> "Native forest logging has now finished for this
> season but there are another 3 seasons to go and a
> lot of further damage to biodiversity and river
> health can occur in that time. Logging has occurred
> close to rainforest areas and logged areas will
> reduce the flow in the Aire River and it's
> tributaries for at least 100 years into the future."
> Mr Chenery said.
>
> "Continued concentrated native forest logging is
> also planned in Gellibrand Special Water Supply
> Catchment which supplies the township of Gellibrand
> River and towns west to Warrnambool. Approximately
> two thirds of Warrnambool's water comes from the
> Gellibrand Special Water Supply Catchment." Mr
> Chenery said.
>
> "The recent release of the (draft) Sustainable Water
> Strategy for the Central Region, covering Melbourne,
> Geelong and Ballarat, shows that demand for water
> will exceed supply in the next 20 yrs. The report
> suggests water sharing in the region as a possible
> solution. This would mean that although most of
> Geelong's water catchment is now protected within
> the Great Otway National Park, in the future, more
> of Geelong's water may come from areas not protected
> from logging." Mr Chenery said.
>
> "It is irresponsible and negligent of the Bracks
> government to continue clearfelling Melbourne's,
> Geelong's and Warrnambool's water catchments when
> there is plenty of scientific evidence from numerous
> studies that shows that logging reduces water supply
> by up to 50 % and takes 150 years to recover." Mr
> Chenery said.
>
> "We are hoping for a big turnout at the Forest Rally
> this Sunday to send a clear message to Mr Bracks
> that logging of high conservation value forests and
> water catchments is unacceptable." Mr Chenery said.
>
> The World Environment Day Rally commences at 11am at
> the State Library in Swanston St, Melbourne and ends
> at Federation Square.
>
>
>
>
>
> Further information or comment, contact:
> Stephen Chenery 5263-3443 or Fiona Nelson
> 5237-7345/0428-615-407.

OTWAY CONSERVATION COUNCIL Inc
P.O. Box 192, Apollo Bay 3233
Ph. 5237-7345 / 5263-3443.

28 May 2006
>
> TO THE EDITOR:

Rally for Forests on World
> Environment
> Day.
>
>
> Dear Editor,
>
> It is hard to believe that in the 21st century we
> are
> still logging Victoria's native forests. Since
> European settlement most of the forests of Victoria
> have been destroyed for wood or farming. We must
> stop
> the destruction of our remaining native forests,
> which
> are being exploited mainly for woodchips. Existing
> plantations can now supply all our needs.
>
> In the Otways, despite the establishment of the
> Great
> Otway National Park, native forest on public land is
> still being clearfelled. Ecologically significant
> areas, including the headwaters of the
> heritage-listed
> Aire River and the Holywater and Wait-a-while Creek
> catchments, are scheduled to be logged this summer.
>
> Native forest logging is also occurring in many
> Victorian water supply catchments including the
> Gellibrand Special Water Supply Area that supplies
> Warrnambool, Gellibrand and several other towns, in
> Melbourne's water catchment, and if the water
> sharing
> recommendations of a recently released Government
> report are adopted, Geelong's future water supply
> could be from actively logged catchments.
>
> Across Victoria the Bracks Government is allowing
> our
> remaining native
> forests to being ravaged by an ever hungry woodchip
> and paper industry.
>
> This Sunday, 4 June, you can show your support for
> an
> end to the continued destruction of our native
> forests
> by attending the World Environment Day Forests Rally
> in Melbourne, starting 11am at the State Library and
> ending at Federation Square.
>
>
> Stephen Chenery,
>

OTWAY CONSERVATION COUNCIL Inc
P.O. Box 192, Apollo Bay 3233
Ph. 5237-7345 / 5263-3443.

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