Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) and Save Ferny Forest have welcomed the announcement that an important 130ha section of Beerwah State Forest, locally known as Ferny Forest will not be logged.
The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)’s plan to log the forest was strenuously opposed by SCEC, Save Ferny Forest and the wider community.
Ferny Forest is located on Gubbi Gubbi/ Kabi Kabi country and includes popular mountain biking and walking tracks, homes for wildlife including the koala and other threatened species.
Ferny Forest has now been taken off the timber harvesting schedule, and will be transitioned into the conservation estate by the end of 2024, DAF confirmed.
Sunshine Coast Environment Council liaison and advocacy officer Narelle McCarthy said, “This is a fantastic first step toward the protection that our Sunshine Coast native forests and wildlife need.“
“This win is testament to what can be achieved with people power. The community rose up to fight the planned logging, and fight for local people and visitors to enjoy this amazing forest into the future.
“We have high conservation value state forest in the South East Queensland planning region, but more than 40,000 ha of this precious habitat is still on logging schedules.
“Deongwar, Yabba, Benarkin, Squirrel Creek – each of these forests are full of hollow bearing trees and invaluable for wildlife. We must protect them now.”
