A former New South Wales Labor environment minister has demanded an immediate halt to planned logging operations in a south coast forest, following the discovery by volunteers of over 100 trees they say house the endangered greater glider.
Former Minister Condemns 'Ecological Fraud'
Bob Debus, who served as environment minister under premiers Bob Carr and Morris Iemma, has issued a strong condemnation of the NSW Forestry Corporation (NSWFC). He alleges the government-owned agency breaches its own regulations so often that "the practice is effectively part of its business model."
His comments come after the environmental group Wilderness Australia reported its citizen scientists detected 102 "den trees" for greater gliders during surveys over the past two months in Glenbog state forest. This forest is slated for logging to begin within weeks.
Under state forestry rules, logging is prohibited within a 50-metre radius of any known greater glider den tree. In stark contrast to the citizen scientists' findings, the Forestry Corporation's own surveys identified just four den trees in the same area.
Clash Over Survey Methods and Data
Andrew Wong, operations manager for Wilderness Australia who led the volunteer team, warned that proceeding with logging based on the official survey data could constitute "ecological fraud." He accused the Forestry Corporation of conducting the bare minimum of surveys, thereby underestimating the true population of the endangered marsupials.
The Glenbog forest, near Deua National Park, is a biodiversity hotspot. Its unique cloud forest microclimate provides refuge for greater gliders and other threatened species from extreme temperatures.
Wong explained the volunteer methodology: they first identified large hollows in old trees during the day, then returned at dusk to witness the gliders emerging. "There is just a small window when they emerge, just as it gets dark," he said. Using thermal cameras and spotlights, each sighting was recorded and geolocated via a mobile app, with data submitted to the government's BioNet system.
While the Forestry Corporation now surveys at night following a court ruling against daytime surveys, Wong claims many surveys still miss the critical emergence window and fail to properly inspect hollows on the far side of trees or deeper in the forest.
Official Responses and Wider Implications
In response to the controversy, the Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Tara Moriarty, stated she expects the Forestry Corporation "to undertake native forest operations in line with the requirements" of its approvals, which include specific instructions for searching for glider dens.
A Forestry Corporation spokesperson said its nocturnal surveys comply with the strict parameters set out in its conditions of approval regarding timing, location, and speed. The spokesperson added, "The records provided by the citizen scientists are currently being incorporated into the plan." However, these rules are minimum standards, and the agency is not compelled to go beyond them.
Debus argued that the situation at Glenbog demonstrates that native forest logging in NSW is unsustainable. "Native forestry operations run at a permanent loss so in reality, taxpayers are paying the fines when they are prosecuted," he said.
The area is also home to a significant wombat population, including animals rehabilitated at a neighbouring wildlife sanctuary. Sanctuary founder Marie Wynan said 666 burrows have been identified and expressed fear that logging could bury animals alive, echoing concerns from a 2014 incident where burrows were destroyed. The NSWFC says it is working with the sanctuary to avoid damaging burrows.
