EPA issues Stop Work Order on forestry operations in Tallaganda State Forest

NSW Environment Protection Authority

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) an immediate Stop Work Order to cease harvesting in parts of the Tallaganda State Forest.

Following a community complaint, EPA offcers inspected several active logging compartments in Tallaganda on Tuesday 30 August and located a deceased Southern Greater Glider around 50 metres from forestry harvest operations. It is not yet known how the glider died.

identifed den trees.

“While community reports suggest around 400 Southern Greater Gliders may be living in the Tallaganda State Forest, FCNSW has identifed only one den tree and we are not confdent that habitat surveys have been adequately conducted to ensure all den trees are identifed.

“The EPA has a strong compliance and enforcement program for native forestry, and we will take immediate action where warranted, including issuing stop work orders for alleged non-compliance.” into two distinct groups: those in North America and Europe, and those in the rest of the world, Rabobank says in its just-released Q3 Global Beef Quarterly.

The report says declining supply and strong consumer demand in the US is driving cattle prices higher, while lower domestic beef supply has also held up prices in Canada and Europe. In most other regions, however, the opposite – increased supply and lower demand – is making prices softer.

Report lead author, Rabobank senior animal protein analyst Angus Gidley-Baird said US cattle prices have increased almost 30 per cent over the past 12 months, while Australian cattle prices have dropped by more than 30 per cent.

“This price spread is the largest we have seen in the past 10 years,” he said.

“Such a separation in prices will have consequences for beef exporters’ competitiveness, and we expect to see some shift in trade volumes as a result.”

A consistent theme across most markets –other than the US – is have not been consumed, the report says. These are now part of growing stock levels that also include other proteins.

“Softer consumer demand is making it harder to move these volumes through the system,” Mr GidleyBaird said.

Australia

After falling for most o the year, Australian cattle prices had levelled out in mid-June, the report said.

Mr Gidley-Baird said the market had “seen heavy steer prices rise towards the end of July before dropping again. Meanwhile national saleyard restocker steers have drifted down slightly in August. The EYCI (Eastern Young Cattle Indicator) was down 45 per cent yearon-year for the month of August to average AUD 5.40/kg”.

Through May and June, prices had eased on producer concern about the seasonal outlook, which added additional cattle to the market, he said.

“At the same time, producer buying activity dropped as cattle numbers were building, processing capacity remains constrained and consumer markets are still soft. This saw prices slaughter volumes for year to date (as week 33) were up 23 per cent on 2022 volumes with the increased cattle inventory fowing through to fnished cattle numbers.

“Processors remain constrained as they balance the decision to increase shifts with available cattle numbers and demand in end markets. As such, weekly cattle slaughter has been range bound at around 120,000 per week. Our expectations are that when supply chains start to clear and product starts to move more freely, given the additional cattle numbers on the ground, we will see processing capacity lift and Australian production take another step up,” Mr GidleyBaird said.

Australian export volumes rise

For Australia, the Q3 2023 Beef Quarterly says, export data for July shows beef export volumes up 30 per cent year on year.

However, Mr Gidley-Baird said, markets are mixed, with congestion generally limiting volumes to Asian markets, such as Japan, while strong demand in the US and an increase in Australian more as a refection of lower Australian cattle numbers in northern Australia where the rebuild has been slower,” he said.

High livestock numbers

Mr Gidley-Baird notes Q2 Australian cattle slaughter numbers were up 16 per cent year on year, while 1H slaughter numbers were also up 16 per cent compared with the frst half of 2022 year.

“While not record levels, you can see that they are approaching the fve-year average and given constraints on processing capacity at the moment – these volumes will be testing throughput,” he said.

EPA Acting Executive Director Operations, Steve Orr said the discovery of a deceased glider was extremely concerning given their increased reliance on unburnt areas of the forest following the 2019/20 bushfres and its proximity to active harvest operations.

“Southern Greater Gliders are an endangered species and shelter in multiple tree cavities, known as ‘den trees’, over large distances,” Mr Orr said.

“Den trees are critical for the food, shelter and movement of gliders and FCNSW is required to protect them and implement 50 metre exclusion zones around

FCNSW has been ordered to immediately cease all harvesting, haulage operations, and any road and track construction work in the areas of concern in the Tallaganda State Forest. The order is in place for 40 days and can be extended.

FCNSW must immediately comply with the Stop Work Order. Failure to comply with a Stop Work Order is a serious offence and can attract a maximum court-imposed penalty of up to $1,650,000 and a further $165,000 for each day the offence continues. Similar penalties apply in respect of a breach of the Forestry Act.

The EPA’s investigation is ongoing.