The bushfires of black summer 2019-20 hit the region around Mogo particularly hard wiping out not only huge numbers of native wildlife but also the economic base of the town itself.
Mogo, on the New South Wales south coast, is a heavily tourist dependent town. So in 2020 when the local State member, himself a mountain bike rider, announced $3 million of government funding for an adventure trails network centred on the town he was met with cautious optimism.
Council pledged another $750,000 and a company was engaged to develop the plan and construct the trails. Within the footprint of the project are forests which haven’t been recently logged so provide a very appealing natural experience full of hollow bearing trees and surviving wildlife through which people can walk or ride.
These remaining unlogged sections need to remain unlogged if the project is to attract visitor numbers high enough to achieve the economic viability of the project. Contrary to the best scientific advice available post-fire logging did resume in these forests in April 2021.
Protect forest AND create jobs at the same time
Eurobodalla Greens are demanding an immediate and to all logging of Mogo State Forest mainly so that the forest landscape can recover but also so the forests and be managed as a world-class mountain bike facility as well as other public recreation like dog walking and bushwalking. Furthermore the trees in these forests are the very trees relied upon for nectar by the critically endangered Swift Parrot – this species needs all the help it can get to avoid sliding into oblivion.
“Post fire logging of the very forest we are promoting as a mountain bike destination is shooting ourselves point-blank in the foot by sabotaging a great local economic recovery project“ – Alison Worthington, lead green candidate in Eurobodalla local government elections 2021.
Eurobodalla Greens have initiated a petition to the NSW Premier urging her intervention. It reads:
Dear Premier, We demand that you intervene to protect the viability of the fledgling Mogo Adventure Trails Hub to which your government has already granted $3 million in funding and the local Eurobodalla Shire will co-fund at 25% of the State govt. contribution.
We urge you to instruct the NSW Forestry Corporation to set aside all current and planned logging of Mogo State Forest in order to protect and enhance the natural asset base of this important initiative in the economic recovery of the fire-devastated Mogo district.
Add your name to the petition here.