Peter Weekes May 13, 2007 AdvertisementAdvertisement
THE State Government has been accused of allowing illegal logging near Melbourne's main water supply.
The logging threatens to soil the city's drinking water as the Thomson Dam dips below 18 per cent and sediment becomes an issue.
Environment groups say the Department of Sustainability and Environment has breached regulations by extending the deadline for logging into the high-rainfall winter season.
Under the Government's Forest Management Plan for the Central Highlands, there can be no logging around the Thomson Dam between May 1 and November 30.
The ban is designed to protect the city's water supply from sediment and other contaminants.
But the Department of Sustainability and Environment gave loggers a two-week extension, ending yesterday.
"The Thomson Dam supplies Melbourne with up to 60 per cent of our drinking water," said Sarah Reece, of environment group Central Highlands Alliance. "Activity during this restricted period may threaten water quality due to increased rainfall and subsequent soil erosion and run-off."
There are two sources of sediment: the coupes themselves, and the roads used by trucks, which often cross streams.
Over the past two weeks, loggers have been harvesting timber in two coupes, one of which is near the headwaters and only 500 metres from the dam. The area received about 40 millimetres of rain last weekend.
"Logging wouldn't be any worse if you did it in the middle of summer or winter, except in winter you get more rain and that's likely to flush sediment into the water stream," said Melbourne University hydrologist Patrick Lane.
A department spokeswoman said the recent dry conditions meant timber harvesting could safely continue.
"As many harvesting contractors spent significant time assisting in the bushfire effort over the summer months, this two-week extension will enable current coupes to be completed and help VicForests meet its timber commitments," she said. Melbourne Water, charged with ensuring the city's water quality, confirmed that it did not raise objections to the extension.
But the president of Lawyers for Forests, Vanessa Bleyer, said that under the Forest Act the department could extend logging in a restricted area only if it met certain criteria set out in the Forest Act, including informing the Environment Minister.
"If the department wants to make changes to the forest management plan, there are stringent processes that they have to go by, amendments have to be gazetted," she said.
