22^nd  November 2010

VicForests

G.P.O. Box 191
 Melbourne 3001
 Tel: 03 9608 9500
 Fax: 03 9608 9566
 Dx: 210224

Email: vfs.admin@vicforests.com.au

Attention Nathan Trushell

Director, Strategy and Corporate Affairs

Strategy Development, Long-Term Resource Supply, Business Development, Certification

Re Breaches #0508 Armstrong Water Catchment Logging Case Study

In accordance with the Central Highlands Forest Management Plan 1998, the Code of Forest Practice 2008, The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2008, The Australian Drinking Water Act 2003, Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 these alleged breaches impact the Australian Forestry Standard and Forest Stewardship Council Certification.

Summary:

The report below finds the following minimum standards breached in the Armstrong:

Alleged Breach 508.1  Unlawful closed season catchment logging

 Alleged Breach 508.2  Hygiene procedures ignored by VicForests including defecation in closed catchments

Alleged Breach 508.3  No audits on compliance with the Code of Forest Practices for 3 years. This will run over 5 ‘auditless’ years as the next audit will be run exclusively in East Gippsland.

Alleged Breach 508.4  (SKM) note that no scientific studies establishing the ‘safety’ of logging in water supply have been conducted. Will it be a case of innocent until proven guilty, that is, wait for an outbreak before we establish the safety of logging?

Alleged Breach 508.5  Scientific assessments (BAER Report) recommending the exclusion of logging in the Armstrong Creek catchment after the 2009 bushfires IGNORED

Alleged Breach 508.6  No application of the precautionary principle to prevent logging threats.

 Alleged Breach 508.7  Logging slopes in excess of 25 degrees

Breach Type:  Alleged Major Non Compliance for Water Catchment Health

Breach Location:   Armstrong Catchment Dandenong Forest Management Area

Description:  A detailed description of  the seven (7) alleged breaches follows below.

Undertaking Sought:  Investigate the seven (7) alleged breaches and report back with details on how these breaches affect the various certifications held by VicForests

MyEnvironment Inc. recommends that all catchments serving water to the public be closed from

logging until such a time that the logging in catchments may be proven to be considered ‘safe’

under section 190 of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 for the period of time reasonably

necessary to investigate, eliminate or reduce the risk to public health. Or that a forest audit

validates that logging has been undertaken in compliance with The Code of Timber Production,

The Code of Fire Practices and Salvage Harvesting Prescriptions.

This should apply to all catchments as a matter of the precautionary principle as deemed best

practice by the national standard for drinking water - the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

In light of the evidence provided, can the state government reasonably demonstrate that they

are managing risks to drinking water, consistent with the National Health and Medical Research

Council and Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council guidelines?

Download the Full Report  below;