Harvesting in NSW forests, where greater, yellow-bellied, and squirrel gliders could be active, is now subject to a temporary injunction with the NSW Land and Environment Court to decide on a case brought by local environmental groups, “at the latest by mid-next week.”
If successful, it will see the injunction and suspension of forestry operations across seven different NSW – including Bulga, Clouds Creek, Moonpar, and Styx on the North Coast and Currowan, Shallow Crossing and Timbillica in the south.
Wood Central understands that Justice Pritchard will judge the case brought by South East Forest Rescue “at latest mid next week,” with the decision consequential to Forest Corporation of NSW’s ongoing operation in state forests.
It comes as South East Forest Rescue tabled 1800 pages of documents against NSW Forestry Corporation earlier this month, with all parties agreeing to a full injunction – yesterday, delayed until next week.
The action targets any area in NSW forests where greater, yellow-bellied, and squirrel gliders are, with a source revealing to Wood Central that the action could apply to forests across the state.
As part of the court action, Forestry Corporation has suspended operations in the forests subject to the court action, with at least three forest harvesting crews standing down until further notice.
South East Forest Rescue – whose objective is to “raise awareness and advocate for the end of public native forest logging in NSW to protect our threatened and endangered species,” is represented by XD Law & Advocacy, one of the very few Australian legal firms specialise in legal, PR and advocacy.
They are perhaps best known for representing convicted whistleblower David McBride, who in November pleaded guilty to leaking classified information to the ABC, known as the Afghan Files, which revealed special forces by special forces in Afghanistan.
Wood Central understands that the XD Law & Advocacy team includes award-winning foreign correspondent and investigative journalist Mark Davis, who has “spent several years applying those same forensic skills to the practice of law.”
According to a source who understands the legal process, South East Forest Rescue was the environmental group that successfully brought VicForests (who, until January 1st 2024, managed harvesting in Victorian state forests) to its knees.
Should Forestry Corporations lose the case, “the ramifications are much more severe than the case brought by North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) against the NE NSW Regional Forestry Agreement,” they said.
They said the action is “designed to wear down the NSW Premier Minns,” as they did with former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, “which was to close and relieve themselves of the constant publicity and battering from the ENGOs.”
- Wood Central is a neutral platform and will not take an editorial stance on the court action. However, it invites subject matter experts to provide contributors, who will be fact-checked before publication.
