Brown's in charge: Keneally backs down on Red Gum protection

The Wilderness Society Sydney Inc.
Media Release
2 March 2010

Both The Wilderness Society and the National Parks Association of NSW today slammed the Keneally Government, following their back down on River Red Gum protection this morning. The decision opens up the heart of the Murray River floodplain, the exceptional Millewa forest, to on-going logging for at least five years.

“This confirms that the ‘browns’ are firmly in charge of the NSW Government and the Premier,” said Carmel Flint, NPA spokesperson. 

“Former Premier Rees described the Millewa Group of forests as the ‘jewel in the conservation crown’ when he declared a National Park across them.

“Premier Keneally has today chopped the promised protected area in half, and turned her back on independent advice from her own scientists that recommended protecting all of Millewa immediately.”

“Allowing logging to continue within Millewa for another 5 years will not leave a forest worth protecting. Premier Keneally has failed the environment,” said Ms Flint.

“This is yet another indelible black mark on the abysmal environmental record of the NSW Labor Government.  Without the full protection of Millewa, the River Red Gum decision is an empty shell”, said Peter Cooper, The Wilderness Society Sydney campaigner.

“We are appalled that the NSW Environment Trust established to protect the environment is now instead being used to continue logging and reward environmental destruction.

“We call on the Federal Government to now finally put an end to illegal logging in River Red Gum.  They need to call this logging in under the federal environment laws and deliver the environmental outcomes the NSW Government has failed to deliver,” said Mr Cooper.