Gliding towards extinction An investigation into Greater Glider habitat logged since the species was listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Prepared by Goongerah The second anniversary of the Environment Centre, Fauna and listing of the Greater Glider as a Flora Research Collective and threatened species, June 2019. Wildlife of the Central Highlands PHOTO: Josh Bowell An investigation into Greater Glider Goongerah Environment Centre habitat logged since the species was (GECO) is a grassroots community listed as threatened under the Flora and group based in the town of Goongerah Fauna Guarantee Act on 14 June 2017. in far East Gippsland. Since 1993 GECO has campaigned for protection of East Report prepared by Goongerah Gippsland’s high conservation value Environment Centre, Fauna and Flora forests. Research Collective and Wildlife of the Central Highlands. www.geco.org.au Goongerah Environment Centre 7203 Published June 2019 Bonang Rd, Goongerah, 3888 [email protected] Report prepared by Sarah Day [email protected] The Fauna and Flora Research Contributors: Collective Inc. (FFRC) is an independent Dave Caldwell volunteer not-for-profit research Tom Crook collective engaged in surveying for Rena Gaborov threatened species and communities Owen Hanson within Victoria’s public forests that are Ed Hill subject to logging. A Greater Glider found dead inside a logging coupe on the Errinundra Plateau, East Andrew Lincoln Gippsland, in high value Glider habitat. faunaandfloraresearchcollective. wordpress.com Wildlife of the Central Highlands (WOTCH) is an independent volunteer- run grassroots organisation dedicated to protecting Victoria’s native forests through the use of citizen science, community engagement and advocacy. wotch.org.au Printed on 100% post consumer waste paper 1 Executive summary Once common in eucalypt forests across Two years after its listing, no Action The report presents 18 case studies The report examines how the powers Eastern Australia, the Greater Glider has Statement has been released, where high quality Greater Glider available to Victorian Minister for the suffered a rapid decline in the last two appropriate protections have not been habitat has been logged or is scheduled Environment Lily D’Ambrosio and the decades – two of the most significant put in place and the Greater Glider for logging despite community groups Secretary of DELWP are not being used threats are wildfire and logging. continues to suffer direct mortality and reporting Greater Glider populations to to protect the Greater Glider. extensive habitat loss due to logging. DELWP in most cases. With the bulk of its distribution in Despite clear pathways for action, two forests still available for logging, the This report analyses VicForests’ logging The report finds that wide scale logging years after its listing as a threatened Glider has little chance of recovery plans, and the results of pre-logging in rare, fragmented and high quality species, the Victorian governent has without rapid change in forest surveys conducted by the government, habitat is continuing across Victoria, failed to take appropriate action to management and the protection of its VicForests and community groups, resulting in the permanent loss of prevent the identified, controllable remaining habitat. to examine how much Greater Glider hundreds of hectares of habitat. threat of logging that is contributing to habitat has been lost since the species the Glider’s decline towards extinction. While federal and state environment was listed as threatened. law acknowledges the Glider is facing Of areas investigated, 44 logging coupes containing 192 extinction, it fails to provide protection. The report investigates 163 instances where spotlighting surveys have Greater Glider detections representing approximately 602 The Glider is listed as vulnerable under detected the presence of Greater ha of habitat has been logged since the Glider’s listing as the Australian Environment Protection Gliders inside logging coupes. a threatened species. Approximately 2,716 ha of habitat is and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, however, the logging industry operates The report finds that, of the areas scheduled for logging. under exemption from this legislation investigated, 44 logging coupes through Regional Forest Agreements containing 192 Greater Glider between the federal and state detections representing approximately governments. 602 hectares of habitat has been logged since the Glider’s listing as a threatened On 14 June 2017, the Greater Glider was species. listed as a threatened species under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Of areas investigated, 119 logging Act 1988, requiring the creation of an coupes containing 534 Greater Glider Action Statement outlining how the detections representing approx. 2,716 species will be protected from threats, hectares of habitat is scheduled for including logging. logging. 2 Table of contents Executive summary 2 PART 3. Case Studies 30 List of acronyms and abbreviations 4 Case studies - logged coupes 30 Background on community groups involved in this report 5 Case studies - scheduled coupes 41 PART 1. The decline of the once common Greater Glider 6 PART 4. Why are environment laws failing the Greater Glider? 49 The Greater Glider - background information 6 Independent review of timber harvesting regulations 49 Decline 6 Systemic regulatory failure 50 The impacts of logging 7 Ending Regional Forest Agreements 50 Legal framework for protection 9 Summary 51 The Code 9 The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 10 PART 5. Recommendations 52 Powers of the Minister and Secretary 11 . References 53 PART 2. Greater Glider habitat logged since its listing on 14 June 2017 12 Detecting Greater Gliders through spotlighting surveys 12 Community surveys 12 VicForests surveys 13 DELWP surveys 14 Map 1. East Gippsland - location of logging coupes investigated 15 Map 2. Gippsland - location of logging coupes investigated 16 Map 3. Central Highlands - location of logging coupes investigated 17 Map 4. North East -location of logging coupes investigated 18 Table 1. Logging coupes where Greater Gliders have been detected that have been logged since 14 June 2017 19 Table 2. Logging coupes where Greater Gliders have been detected that are scheduled for logging 21 Table 3. Logging coupes where Greater Gliders have been detected and logging has been halted due to legal proceedings 25 Summary of findings 27 Table 4. Summary of findings 27 Discussion 28 The precautionary principle 29 Logging underway in high value Greater Glider habitat in coupe 892-517-0007 in Queensborough River, East Gippsland. 3 List of acronyms and abbreviations ARI Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research DELWP Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning EJA Environmental Justice Australia EPBC Act Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 FCV Forest Conservation Victoria FFG Act Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 FFRC Fauna and Flora Research Collective FoI Freedom of Information Act 1982 GECO Goongerah Environment Centre WOTCH Wildlife of the Central Highlands GEG Gippsland Environment Group RFA Regional Forest Agreement ROP Rolling Operations Plan SAC Scientific Advisory Committee SFTA Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004 SOSF Save our Strathbogie Forest SPZ Special Protection Zone THSZ Timber Harvest Safety Zone TRP Timber Release Plan TSSC Threatened Species Scientific Committee the Code Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014 the Department Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning the Glider Greater Glider the Minister Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change the Secretary Secretary of DELWP Greater Glider . PHOTO: Josh Bowell. 4 Background on community groups monitoring and reporting logging of threatened species’ habitat, including Greater Glider habitat In the absence of adequate monitoring and regulation of Victoria’s state-owned logging agency (VicForests) to search for and protect threatened species prior to logging – the role of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Goongerah Environment Centre Fauna and Flora Research Collective Wildlife of the Central Highlands Planning (DELWP) – a movement of (GECO) (FFRC) (WOTCH) citizen science groups has emerged in Victoria. GECO is a community conservation The FFRC has submitted well over WOTCH is a volunteer citizen science organisation based in the small town 100 reports to DELWP documenting organisation that monitors logging of Goongerah in far East Gippsland. the presence of rare, threatened operations and conducts surveys for GECO’s reports document rare, and protected species inside forest protected flora and fauna within the threatened and protected species or scheduled for logging. FFRC’s reports proposed Great Forest National Park in communities (such as rainforest) in have resulted in dozens of protection Victoria’s Central Highlands. WOTCH areas scheduled for logging, or where zones. Without the FFRC, logging would surveys largely focus on Victoria’s logging has commenced. GECO’s forest have gone ahead in these areas as the critically endangered faunal emblem, survey program has resulted in the protected environmental values would the Leadbeater’s Possum. WOTCH implementation of over 2000 ha of not have been identified. The FFRC is surveys for Leadbeater’s Possums have protection zones created in response currently awaiting judgement in their repeatedly found them within areas of to detections of rare, protected and Victorian Supreme Court