Logging risk to springs, say greens

Stathi Paxinos, Regional Affairs Reporter, The Age (article), April 30 2002

Green groups have called on the State Government to cease logging in the Wombat Forest and investigate their claims that Daylesford's famous springs have been put at risk of water contamination and drying up.

Doctors for Native Forests spokesman Suresh Pathy and former Greens candidate Scott Kinnear said the logging had affected the water pressure and natural filtering processes of the Hepburn Springs.

Dr Pathy said the closure of the Sutton, Luciana, Soda and Jubilee Lake springs because of bacterial contamination demonstrated the increased susceptibility caused by lower water pressure.

A government spokesman yesterday rejected the claims as "political point scoring" and said the government was committed to reduced logging.

The Victorian Mineral Water Committee, a government advisory body, also dismissed the claims. Convenor David Endacott said bacterial contamination was caused by surface water and runoff from the area immediately surrounding the spring, not from logging.

Mr Endacott said the committee received and acted on regular reports about the springs' water quality. He confirmed that four springs were being treated for bacterial contamination.

Mr Kinnear said there had not been enough data to show a direct link between logging in the Wombat Forest to contamination of springs, but leaked government reports from as early as 1996 highlighted potential problems.

"We are not saying that that is directly a result of logging. What we are saying is that anything that is reducing the pressure of water increases the potential for surface contamination to contaminate the spring outflow."

Mr Kinnear said logging should be stopped until the issues were investigated.

"This is a major tourist area for Victoria, 400,000 visitors per year to the springs area . . . and is consistently in the top 10 of sites visited around Victoria," he said.