Is native forest logging on private land 'a wonderful outcome', or 'a huge embarrassment'?

Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick was scheduled to table a motion this Wednesday, February 21, calling on an amendment to the local environmental plan to make private native forestry without consent a permitted use of RU2 zones (rural landscape).

In his notice of motion, Cr Fitzpatrick points out private native forestry was "a significant source" of timber supply to mills and businesses on the Far South Coast and "serves as a crucial economic driver for the region".

"Moreover, the proximity of private native forests to timber mills reduces transportation costs and carbon emissions associated with long-distance timber hauling, making it an environmentally favourable option," he said.

South East Region Conservation Alliance (SERCA) spokeswoman Harriett Swift said this was "a not very subtle attempt" to increase log supplies to the woodchip mill following the end of native forest logging in Victoria on January 1.

She even pointed out the logging industry had already claimed credit for the mayor's motions in stating they were "organised by the CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association, NSW

"The mayor is making wildly optimistic and inaccurate claims about employment and economic benefits in support of his motion," Ms Swift said.

"The reality is that direct employment in logging is less than one per cent of the Bega Valley workforce and there are more jobs in the arts and recreation than there are in logging."

Ms Swift was expected to address the council ahead of Wednesday's meeting to express objections to the notice of motion, as was National Parks Association representative David Gallan.

"Far from being an economic asset to the region, without massive taxpayer subsidies it [native forest logging] would have gone years ago," Mr Gallan said.

"Councillors should know better than anyone about the cost of repairing damage by heavy log trucks and machinery to roads and bridges and, of course, the exemption from local government rates on 'production forests' for the Forestry Corporation.

"Bega Valley ratepayers subsidise the Forestry Corporation millions of dollars each year as a result of this exemption."

Both Ms Swift and Mr Gallan said it "would be a huge embarrassment" if the Bega Valley was to increase native forest logging at a time when other governments in Australia and around the word were stopping it.

Rob de Fégely is a conservationist and forester from Lochiel.

He is also the manager of the South East NSW Forestry Hub, one of 11 hubs around Australia, which stretches from Nowra to the Victorian border and includes Yass and the ACT.

He said there was much more to the motion proposed by Cr Russell Fitzpatrick than getting more woodchips.

"In the first instance it is about managing native forest better and no-one would be able to cut down trees without developing a harvesting plan," Mr de Fégely said.

"There is a safety net in terms of what you can do. You can't clearfell - if it's old growth it's mapped and there are very good restrictions.

"People have the opportunity to manage for biodiversity, for better bushfire management and in fact people can be paid to keep their trees," he said.

He believed the change would provide "a wonderful outcome that would encourage owners to take pride in managing their forests".

Regardless of the outcome of his notice of motion, council staff have already noted some "preliminary investigations" into Cr Fitzpatrick's recommendation.

It outlined RU2 zones were "generally intended for rural land with landscape values" or reduced capability for agricultural use. And the objectives of the zone included maintaining the rural landscape character of the land, and to provide for a range of compatible land uses.

It said there was currently around 44,626 hectares of land within RU2 zones across the Bega Valley Shire.

"At the time [of applying the LEP 2013] council considered the use of forestry to be incompatible with the objective of the RU2 zone to protect the forested hinterland and existing character of the rural landscape," council staff noted in the council agenda.

It further stated the estimated cost to council in amending the LEP to allow private forestry without consent could be anywhere up to $270,000 for consultant fees and "dependent on requirements of government agencies".