While NSW Forestry Corporation invites us to celebrate National Forestry Day today, conservationists are calling it a “day of shame for Australia”.

At the heart of the issue is the logging of Australia’s native forests.

Behind Forestry Corporation’s promise to plant 14.7 million seedlings to grow timber this year, is a long history of logging that doesn’t use plantation forests as the source.

North East Forest Alliance spokesperson Sean O’Shannessey said the native forest logging industry “hides its appalling record of environmental vandalism behind the achievements of the sustainable plantation timber industry”.

“There is no such thing as sustainable industrial logging in native forests,” Sean said.

“Houses are not built out of native forest timber, they are built of softwood plantation timber.

“Most of what they rip out of our threatened species homes is used for low value disposable products.

“The most valuable products of our forests are water, carbon, biodiversity and tourism.

“These are about 10 times the value of the trees taken by loggers, and are destroyed by driving bulldozers and chainsaws through them.

“Courageous community volunteers are standing up for our forests all over NSW and will keep doing so until they are safe from forestry loggers."

Forestry Corporation

Forestry Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Anshul Chaudhary said “wood is the ultimate renewable resource, and the forestry cycle means organisations like Forestry Corporation can keep supplying the community with essential materials for generations to come”.

“Native forestry is essential for sustainably supplying wood products for wharves, bridges, telegraph poles and our homes,” Mr Chaudhary said.

 “NSW’s two million hectare State forest estate and the renewable wood products it supplies actively sequester and store carbon. 

 “National Forestry Day also highlights the positive impacts of the state’s native forestry industry and the stringent environment it operates in. 

“NSW’s strict environmental regulations mean timber from native State forests is amongst the most sustainable in the world with the forests careful managed to provide timber while also supporting wildlife populations in concert with surround national parks and other forested land,” Mr Chaudhary said. 

“Timber harvesting operations take place in around 0.1 per cent of NSW forested land and all harvested areas are completely regenerated.” 

“In NSW State forests have been harvested for timber and regrown for over 100 years.

“Today these forests are open to the public for free camping, mountain biking, four wheel driving and so much more. “