THE establishment of a "forest embassy" was part of a protest earlier this week at the South Brooman State Forest.
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Several groups including Coastwatchers and the Brooman State Forest Conservation Group co-hosted the event with support from Independent NSW MP Justin Field and the Milton National Parks Association.
The groups want to raise their concern about logging South Brooman State Forest.
They claim the native forestry industry is failing to meet the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) requirements.
The groups claim a recent inspection of South Brooman State Forest showed contractors had not complied with EPA requirements.
"Locals were shocked and distressed to find numerous trees with wildlife hollows (protected under EPA requirements) cut down in the logging operation," a spokesperson said.
"Trees with hollows are essential for the breeding of forest-dwelling threatened species including cockatoos, owls, gliders and possums."
Mr Field, who lives near the South Brooman Forest, saw the current logging activities for himself.
"The documented evidence is compelling. The EPA needs to conduct a thorough investigation and current logging in the South Brooman State Forest should be paused while this is done," he said.
"What has been uncovered here just strengthens the call for a statewide moratorium on logging until an assessment of the ecological and wood supply impacts of the fires has been undertaken. That that hasn't yet been done is shocking given the damage caused by the fires."
A Forestry Corporation spokesperson, in relation to the operation in South Brooman State Forest, said a selective timber harvesting operation was being conducted and they were working with the EPA.
"Forestry Corporation is undertaking a selective timber harvesting operation in South Brooman State Forest which has been carefully planned in line with the site-specific conditions issued by the EPA including the protection of hollow-bearing trees," the spokesperson said.
"Importantly, harvesting will only take place in a small proportion of the compartment with around 60 per cent of the area retained untouched for habitat.
"After the fires last summer, Forestry Corporation has been working closely with the Environment Protection Authority to review every planned harvesting operation, which results in site-specific operating conditions, beyond what is normal, being designed and implemented for each harvest area.
"These conditions balance post-fire forest recovery with timber supply to local mills.
"The fires affected around 195,000 hectares of state forests on the south coast and to date, timber harvesting operations have occurred in about 200 hectares or 0.1 per cent of fire-affected state forest on the south coast."
The spokesperson added the Forestry Corporation will cooperate fully in any investigation the EPA may undertake.
Mr Field added the issues raised was not an attempt to shut down the industry.
"There is support for a fair transition to plantation-based forestry and there will need to be Government support through that transition," Mr Field said.
"There is a clear opportunity to re-purpose this workforce to focus on the sustainable management of our forests as they recover from the fires, including in fire management for the future."
He said priority has to be on ecological recovery and on ensuring any future logging doesn't undermine that recovery.