Save Deongwar State Forest

Eligibility - Queensland residents
Principal Petitioner:
Max Fulham
PO Box 383
REDCLIFFE QLD 4020
Total Signatures - 724
Sponsoring Member: The Clerk of the Parliament
Posting Date: 5/9/2023
Closing Date: 13/9/2023
Tabled Date: 14/9/2023
Responded By: Hon Mark Furner MP on 16/10/2023
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House the increased threat of uncontrolled catastrophic bushfires occurring in Deongwar State Forest due to the accumulation of timber residues resulting from the current intensive logging operations.

The 'Code of practice for native forest timber production on Queensland's State forest estate 2020' prescribes the logging of up 50% of the basal area of live native hardwood trees, and according to the Queensland Government’s biomass mapping and data, sourced from the ‘State of the Environment Report 2020’, 60% of the logged trees, including the stump, is left as waste on the forest floor. This additional fuel load equates to approximately 30% of the live native hardwood trees within the logged areas.

Recent inspection of logged areas within the endangered blackbutt woodland of Deongwar State Forest reveal significant accumulations of discarded tree trunks, plies of bark, entire crowns of trees, broken branches, twigs and leaf litter throughout the broader landscape. This additional combustible material directly contributes to bushfire risk and bushfire intensity. Not only is the forest and wildlife of Deongwar State Forest at risk but also the nearby national parks, nature refugees, residences and townships as occurred during the 2019 Black Summer bushfires. The current logging is destructive, wasteful and reckless.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to do all within its power to influence the Queensland Premier and the Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities to end the logging of Deongwar State Forest.