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Dear Mr Ingram,
I heard you expressing your opposition to the proposed Box-Ironbark forest
protection plan that is due to come before parliament presently on the radio
today. While I agree with one of the central tenants of your
argument; that the new parks need to be properly resourced, this is no reason to
reject the bill out of hand.
I spend a lot of
time in the forests of Rushworth, Chiltern, Whipstick and Mt Black bird watching
and hiking. These areas support a
wide range of bird species, many of which are not found in southern
Victoria. The box-ironbark
community represents 50 species of threatened animal. Some of these animals rely on large,
hollow bearing trees, extensive ground litter and outbreaks of pollen, among
other things. The industries that
have been allowed to continue in the forests, such as apiary, eucalyptus oil
production, timber collection and mining threaten these habitats. On the other hand protection of these
resources would encourage me to visit these areas to watch birds, or camp in
National Parks, spending money in the nearby towns. I am particularly concerned that the
protection to box-ironbark woodlands do not do enough to protect Regent Parrot,
Mallee Fowl, Powerful Owl, Barking Owl, Swift Parrots, and Grey Crowned Babbler,
all of which are threatened in Victoria.
With 83% of the Box-Ironbark forest assemblage in Victoria
already lost, this report provides what may be the last opportunity to fully
protect this once extensive ecosystem.
The community has shown support for achieving the JANIS targets in the
area and fragmentation, with the effect of creating small ?island populations?,
is a further risk to the long term survival of many of the assemblages of plants
and animals.
Just today I enjoyed some of the protected areas in your
electorate, enjoying a rewarding couple of hours bird-watching at Fairy Dell,
between Bruthen and Bairnsdale, where one can see the eastern most extension of
birds like the Black-faced Monarch and Scarlet Honeyeater, and stopping off at
Lake Guyatt in Sale to look for only the 4th or 5th record of a Wandering
Whistling Duck that has been seen there over the last couple of months. It
would be a shame not to protect similar habitat in other areas of the state and
it would be infuriating if our natural heritage was sacrificed to appease a
small but vocal lobby groups who run largely unprofitable extractive businesses
in these forests.
I urge you in the strongest terms to support this bill and
look forward to your reply,
Yours Faithfully,
Stuart Cooney
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