29 April 2026
The failure of Federal and State Governments to protect endangered Greater Gliders has been dramatically highlighted in Styx River State Forest on the New England tablelands near Armidale, according to Forest Alliance NSW.
Citizen scientists in Styx River State Forest, north-east of Armidale on the NSW Tablelands, have found an astonishing 432 endangered Greater Glider den (home) trees, where the Forestry Corporations' surveys found only four.
"The vast difference in survey findings between those conducted by citizen scientists and those conducted by Forestry Corporation NSW again exposes the failure of official surveys, the failure of regulation and the failure of Australia's nature laws," said Kashmir Miller, spokesperson for Nature Conservation Council NSW (NCC).
"We are calling for high level intervention by Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt, to immediately protect this population of endangered gliders," she said.
"We are calling on Premier Chris Minns to declare an immediate moratorium in the 15 forests that have been identified as still having large and healthy Greater Glider populations."
Susie Russell, from North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) said: "Each of these 432 glider dens, which have now been registered on Bionet, the State's Wildlife Atlas, are now meant to be officially protected with a 50 metre logging exclusion buffer. However if citizen scientists hadn't found those trees, many of them would have been cut down as would the forest surrounding them.
"This is happening in forests all around the state. Endangered species habitat is being bulldozed because Forestry Corporation surveys aren't fit for purpose.
"The fact that Forestry Corporation didn't find these dens just proves ongoing wilful negligence and a failure to meet its legal obligations."
Environmental groups are calling on Premier Minns to enact as a matter of urgency, an immediate moratorium on the 15 forests (Tallaganda, Tuggalo, Bulga, Enfield, Giro, Barrington Tops, Brother, Styx River, Glen Elgin, Gibraltar, Badja, Cherry Tree, Moogem, Glenbog and Riamukka) identified by Forest Alliance NSW as having exceptionally high numbers of Greater Gliders.
Doro Babeck, NSW Campaigner, Bob Brown Foundation said: "The so-called federal Environment Minister Murray Watt is asleep behind the wheel while Greater Glider habitat is being bulldozed in real time. We are calling on Murray Watt to wake up, fast-track the Greater Glider Recovery Plan, and protect these forests before it is too late.
"Saying that these forests might be protected in 12 months under the new EPBC nature laws is cold comfort. By then, the chainsaws will have done their jobs, leaving nothing but destruction behind and sending Greater Gliders closer to extinction.
"Greater Gliders must be protected wherever they still survive and wherever they can recover. If we want to reverse their slide to extinction, we must safeguard their existing strongholds, and forests where they could live.
"Greater Gliders are highly vulnerable to logging, habitat fragmentation, bushfire and climate stress. They rely on mature forests, tree hollows and a cooler climate. For a species to recover, they need to be protected in their strongholds and not have their homes chopped down for tomato stakes."
There is currently a case awaiting judgement in the Land and Environment Court about Greater Glider den trees. SEFR v FCNSW.
