The federal listing of the greater-bellied glider in southeast Australia as an Endangered species is another reason to end native forest logging in NSW. [1]
The listing of the greater glider comes hot on the heels of the listing of the yellow-bellied glider [2] and gang-gang cockatoo [3] as threatened and increase threat status for koalas in NSW. [4]
"Logging of native forests is a clear and present threat to all these species, which have been struggling since the devastating Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20," Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.
"The listing of the greater glider, the largest tree-dwelling mammal after koalas, is terrible news but sadly not surprising considering how our forests are being managed.
"The NSW Government kept logging forests smashed by the Black Summer bushfires and those that became precious refuges for koalas and gliders that fled the flames.
"And on top of that, the corporation has been pinged four times in the past month for destroying threatened species habitat and fined more than $500,000.
"Forest Corp needs to ensure that it's operations do not now put glider habitat at further risk.
"There needs to be an independent inquiry into the Forestry Corporation's operations.
"The native forest division of the NSW Government's logging company, Forestry Corporation, lost $20 million last financial year.
'Effectively, taxpayers are subsidising the extinction of our koalas and gliders. It's morally reprehensible.
"Listing of the greater glider as endangered is not only terrible for the species, it is bad news news for our forests. That's because the greater glider is an indicator species. That means if the greater glider is thriving, our forests are healthy. But if they are dying out, so too are our forests.
"Our forests are beset by problems ranging from climate change and mega fires to invasive species. Some of these things are beyond the NSW government power, but not logging.
"The NSW Government could remove possibly the most immediate threat to our forests and to the greater glider simply by phasing out native forest logging once and for all."
References
[1] Department of water Agriculture and Environment, Species Profile and Threat Database, Greater Glider, July 5, 2022.
[2] Department of water Agriculture and Environment, Species Profile and Threat Database, Yellow-bellied Glider (south-eastern), March 2, 2022
[3] Gang-gang cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) - vulnerable species listing
[4] Koalas officially an endangered species in NSW, Queensland, SMH, 11-2-22
