Location
The Central Highlands are part of the Great Dividing Range northeast of Melbourne's
metropolitan area. The area extends from Seymour and Lake Eildon in the north,
Noogee in the west and Baw Baw National Park and Moe in the east.
The area covers a little over 1 million hectares, half of which is private
land, the other half is public land and by comparison, is mostly covered by
native forest.
One third of the area covered by native forest is protected from logging and
the remainder is in state forest.
Tourism's Mecca
The Central Highlands region attracted around 850,000 visitors in 1995 (figures
Tourism Victoria) to its spectacular giant ash forest and Cool Temperate Rainforest.
Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the region adding around
97 million into the regional economy.
A report produced in 1992 by Henshal Hansen and Read Sturgess Associates found
that apart from attractions in Melbourne, the Central Highlands received the
highest visitor numbers in Victoria.
The tourism Forecasting Council predicts that domestic visitor nights in Victoria
will increase by 24 percent between 1994 and 2005. Given the geographical location
of the Central Highlands, it can be projected that the region will receive an
increase in visitors in coming years.
One area of particular increase in recent years has been in nature-based tourism,
where visitors are particularily interested in visiting the National Parks and
state forests.
From 1991-1994 tourism to state forest and National Parks has almost doubled
(CRA, 1998) and is considered to keep growing by 5 percent per annum.
Logging threatens tourism industry
The Wilderness Society and the local community in Marysville are appalled that
logging may threaten the area’s ancient forests.
This summer, more than 98 hectares is scheduled for logging in the Upper Taggerty
in four areas (coupes). A new road will also be built, paving the way for even
more logging in the years to come.
A large proportion of the logging and roading is in close vicinity to the magnificent
Beech forests seen by tourists visiting the Lady Talbot Drive in the Upper Taggerty
catchment.
Not only are we losing these forests to the woodchipper, but the increased
threat of Myrtle Wilt also represents a long-term threat to the future of the
Beech forest of the Upper Taggerty River Valley.
It would be a tragedy to lose these spectacular forests because of their beauty
and biodiversity.
If not for a rising groundswell of opposition in the Marysville area, it could
have been worse. A controversial 40 hectare coupe and new road was proposed
above Keppell Falls. The logging, immediatey adjacent to the spectacular and
fragile Myrtle Beech forests at ‘The Beeches’, would have been clearly visible
tourists taking the scenic Lady Talbot Drive.
Pressure from new local conservation group, Actively Conserving Marysville
and Environs and The Wilderness Society successfully postponed logging, for
now. Marysville depends heavily on tourism for its employment and economic prosperity.
In contrast, the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries combined accounted
for less than three percent of the region’s employment in 1995.
There is no logging industry in Marysville and the region has suffered from
several sawmill closures in recent years.
What is the Government doing?
Very little. Endangered flora and fauna are supposed to receive a high level of
protection under the state government’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. While Cool
Temperate Rainforest and Myrtle Wilt are listed under the legislation, "action
statements" are required to implement management tools to protect rainforest from
Myrtle Wilt.
Despite the fact cool temperate rainforest has been listed since 1992, and
Myrtle Wilt since December last year, no action statements have been undertaken.
Right now, only 40 metre buffers are required between logging operations and
rainforest. But research commissioned ten years ago by Tasmania’s Forestry Commission,
stresses that 250-350 buffers are needed to ensure myrtle wilt does not take
hold in the rainforest.
The problem for the logging industry is that 350 metre buffers would take large
areas out of contention for logging. However, in order to protect these spectacular
rainforests, as well as the livelihoods of Marysville and surrounding communities
who depend on the tourism industry, the state government must not allow logging
close to rainforests in the Central Highlands.
The threat which logging poses to water supply and quality also applies to
the Upper Taggerty. The Upper Taggerty catchment is the headwaters of the Goulburn
River, a major irrigation source for central Victoria's agricultural sector.
(The Wilderness Society recognises that the Kulin Nation tribes, the Taungurong
and Woiworung, and the Kurnai are the traditional owners of the Central Highlands.)
Driving the regional economy
Environmental studies in the area have found that local communities are becoming
more concerned about the way state forests are managed.
The community is outraged with the management of certain areas of state forest.
Despite the Code of Forest Practices stating: "it will ensure it will reduce
the adverse effects on the visual landscape values" a coupe was scheduled right
above Keppels Falls.
This area attracts around 30,000 cars a year and includes a walk through ancient
Myrtle Beech forest.
Each year the coupes scheduled are more blatant and are increasingly placed
in areas that show complete disregard for the tourist industry.
