The cross benchers in NSW are generally supportive of ending native forest logging. If your state member of parliament is from the Labor, Liberal or National parties, write to them and ask them to advocate for an end to native forest logging in NSW, including:
- Immediately halting logging within the proposed Great Koala National Park, and
- Ending logging in public native forests and other key koala habitat (including in plantations) as a matter of urgency.
Forest Advocacy Ministry participants at Newry Forest, August 2023. Photo by Finn Lawson-John.
The issues
- Native forest logging is putting numerous threatened species at greater risk of extinction.
- The NSW government pledged to establish a Great Koala National Park but has not yet done so. Logging of koala habitat continues within the proposed park boundaries. Areas of key koala habitat are also being logged in plantations.
- Intact forests draw down carbon and are one part of the solution to climate change. Logging in native forests compromises these carbon stores and also increases the severity at which bushfires burn, which is a further threat to carbon storage and to other ecosystem services.
- Native forest logging operates at a loss and most native forest timber is used for wood chips and pulp.
- Forestry Corporation of NSW has a track record in its logging operations of breaking the rules designed to protect wildlife. It cannot be trusted to log in native forests or any forests with quality habitat.
- For a brief summary of these issues, see Uniting Eco Group’s submission to the Independent Forestry Panel.
Contact your local member of parliament
- If you don’t know who your NSW member of parliament is, find out here by entering your address.
- Find your MP’s contact details here.
- See forms of address for MPs here.
Letter writing tips
- Introduce yourself and why you are concerned about the issues, including your own faith perspective if you are a person of faith. For ideas, see quotes from different faith traditions and key Bible verses.
- Write a brief letter in your own words (a typed or handwritten letter is better than an email), be polite and fair, and ask your MP for action.
- See this tips sheet from the Uniting Advocacy team for more pointers on how to write an effective letter.
Petition to end native forest logging
As well as (or instead of) writing your letter, sign this petition by the Australia Institute calling on Premier Chris Minns to end native forest logging.