Replanting the Bundaleer Forest was a topic of discussion in the South Australian Parliament during question time. Source: The Finders News
Member for Stuart Dan van Holst Pellekaan asked Forests Minister Leon Bignell when a decision about replanting 390 hectares that were burnt in the fire would be made.
This followed Minister Bignell’s statement that 60 hectares of Bundaleer Forest would be replanted in the next few weeks.
“Given that the salvage must be completed within about 12 months, can you tell us please when the decision about replanting the remaining area will be made?” Mr van Holst Pellekaan asked.
Mr Bignell replied: “We will be doing that as soon as possible, but we need to take into account all the different views. If, at the end of the day, there is a differing view, we might actually get someone in to have another look at it as well.
“I am still waiting for the report from Forestry SA, and I think until we see that and have a good look at that, we will—but what I will do is continue to involve you, the Minister for Regional Affairs and the local community up there.
“We also have wider implications than just what we take out of the forest; these were the first commercial forests planted anywhere in Australia back in the 1870s, so they are an important part of our history.
“They are also really important to our tourism operators in terms of cycling and walking paths that we have through there as well, and other recreational pursuits. We are taking this very seriously.”
Mr Bignell also told parliament about his trip to the Mid North to inspect fire damage a week after the election and meet with Morgan Sawmill, of Jamestown.
“We met with Ed Morgan and his son Luke, and they had a much more optimistic view of what can happen up there,“ he said.
“In the Bundaleer Forest, which unfortunately suffered an enormous amount of damage (450 hectares) in January last year, they knew that there were some areas there that were ready to be replanted.
“About 80,000 seedlings will be planted in the area, which I think is a very good thing for the future of the area.”
Mr van Holst Pellekaan has been advocating for the replanting of the forests for a number of months. In April he wrote to Mr Bignell, urging him to use his inluence within Cabinet “to have the government to commit to re-plant the entire Wirrabara Forest as soon as possible”.
“I am aware that the salvage of burnt timber must occur over the next 12 months, but an immediate public commitment to commence the re-planting of the forest would provide the many communities, businesses and people who depend on the Wirrabara Forest with the ability to plan their recovery from the fire,” he said in the letter.
“I am sure you agree that this is an extremely important forestry matter and I seek your support on behalf of the group of communities which I represent.”
He also made a speech on the Bangor bushfire on May 22.
