9th February 2024
The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC), the state's leading environmental advocacy organisation, has today welcomed the decisions by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to retain the survey requirements for greater gliders for another week.
"This is a win for the community and the gliders, for now" Jacqui Mumford, NCC CEO said today.
On Tuesday, a group of dedicated conservationists and ecologists all met with the EPA to argue forcefully these changes would have a devastating impact on our forests and the endangered Greater Glider.
"In credit to the EPA, they seem to have listened to our feedback for now.
"The EPA appear to have realised their error in changing forestry survey rules without properly consulting ecologists or conservationists. It's heartening they have heard the community's objections to the proposed changes.
"They have also agreed to an improved consultation process with the NSW environment movement over the protection of greater gliders and vulnerable forest species.
"We hope that such a process can ensure that decisions that risk further decimating endangered species like the Greater Glider do not occur again.
In response, a coalition of environment organisations has produced a roadmap for protecting biodiversity in NSW State Forests, which was sent to the EPA, calling for:
Reinstating survey Greater Glider survey requirements (tick)
Prohibit logging of critical glider habitat during consultation and the establishment of further glider protections
The scientifically valid identification of Glider Hubs
The establishment of a Glider Recovery Plan and Glider Scientific Advisory Group
An independent review of forest ecological integrity, to explore the accelerating impacts of climate heating, the risks to forest recovery posed by further catastrophic fires, and the overall health of our forests.
"These five requests are designed to protect these endangered marsupials and ensure that damaging mistakes like occurred last week do not occur again.
"We have been granted another week to ensure that Forestry Corporation cannot destroy the homes of endangered wildlife like the Greater Glider.
"We will do everything in our power to ensure this moment isn't wasted."
Statement ends
