A Gunnedah-based timber company said the draft Natural Resources Commission’s report into the Brigalow and Nandewar State Conservation Areas is generally favourable to the timber industry. Source: ABC News
Gunnedah Timbers manager, Patrick Paul, said his company is 100% reliant on the cypress timber in the Brigalow.
He said the draft Natural Resources Commission report supports his view that management of the forest, including thinning, will provide the best environmental outcomes.
Mr Paul said his main concern was the management of the process.
“Does the National Parks manage it if it is to be logged, or is it managed by the Forestry Corporation, or who actually governs the logging crews,” he said.
“You read the report, and it says these forests must be managed and they must be cut and that’s from the National Resources Commission and all their ecologists that have been out there and inspected and have said for the life of the forest it must be cut and thinned and managed.”
Public comment is being sought on the draft report until the beginning of August, with the final recommendations to be handed down in September.
Mr Paul said his company relied entirely on access to cypress timber.
“It is a sustainable timber, it’s a unique timber and it’s all self-regeneration,” he said.
“It’s naturally termite resistant and therefore no chemicals [are needed] to treat the timber as opposed to other timer that is prone to termites.
“It’s a very unique timber to Australia and it would be a shame to see the demise of it.”
