The primary interests to the community of the Bellingen Shire, nor the “competing interests”, have been identified by Mr Kearney however, we may assume the interests of FC is to run a profitable logging company while the interests of the community is a clean river system, amelioration of flooding rather than proliferation, protection of endangered species, minimisation of carbon emissions and the resultant global warming, and sustainable development.

On FC’s own admission, only soft wood plantation forests are economic with hard wood harvesting used to fulfill previous contracts based upon estimated timber reserves that, in reality once harvesting commenced, was found to have never existed. Flawed contracts and flawed surveys.

While I cannot speak on behalf of the Shire, I do assert that the practice of clear fell logging, as now underway in our Tarkeeth Forest, will cause irreversible damage to the Bellinger and Kalang rivers as the soil is eroded and enters the waterways.

Our rivers are already swollen with gravel and silt due to land clearing on excessive slopes as can easily be observed by simply taking a stroll down to the Bellinger River. What was once a far narrower and far deeper river is now widening dramatically as banks are undercut and washed away with every downpour. The gravel in the river is more resistant than the soft fertile banks causing the banks to erode preferentially to transporting the gravel further downstream.

This cycle of bank erosion, river widening and increasing gravel load is thus a self perpetuating process and requires our serious attention.

FC's clear fell logging will thus increase erosion adding to the river's already staggering gravel load, and therefore increase the flooding downstream. Furthermore it will destroy the habitat of our endangered species including koalas, platypus, turtles, and other fauna, and add dramatically to carbon emissions and thus global warming.

While this forest is only perhaps 60 years old it is beginning to create habitat, hold the soil and water, and create oxygen for all concerned. Destroying this, without the consent of the Shire and those who will be directly affected, is a breach of natural justice and should be of major concern to all.