NSW locks Indigenous elders out of sacred forest: 'Just wrong'
The logging operation was described by an Indigenous woman as "a spiritual war against us First Nations people".
“It feels like they’re tearing me apart, my guts and everything. It’s just wrong.”
Indigenous elder Uncle Bud Marshall is heartbroken and exhausted as he continues a battle to prevent a NSW Government-owned company from logging his sacred lands.
Named after a golden kangaroo, Nunguul Mountain has been a cultural site for thousands of years. Now incorporated into Newry State Forest on the NSW Mid North Coast, the surrounding area is seen as a timber asset by the Forestry Corporation, and this has led to weeks of tense conflict between the Gumbaynggirr people, protesters, and police.
At 83, Uncle Bud is frustrated that gates are now blocking his entry into Nunguul, and he’s concerned if it's logged, younger generations won’t be able to learn about their culture. Police who have stood in his way told him they "understand" why he wants to protect the forest, but Uncle Bud can't see how that's possible.
Land is central to the passing on of knowledge in Indigenous culture. Gumbaynggirr elder Aunty Alison describes the situation at Nunguul as “a spiritual war against us First Nations people”.
“They know the main thing of our existence is the forest and we’re very close to it. As if they already haven’t done enough,” she told Yahoo.
Those trees, the animals, all that's there is very deep to us First Nations peoples.Aunty Alison
Did the government consult with the Gumbaynggirr?
Three Gumbaynggirr people who oppose the timber harvest on their lands have accused Forestry Corporation of not consulting with their community prior to beginning work.
Sandy Greenwood is a Gumbaynggirr woman who has been protesting against the timber harvesting. "How would a non-Gumbaynggirr person know where the sacred sites are? We were all left in the dark — ask my elders — there's been no consultation whatsoever," she alleges.
After being questioned about this, Forestry Corporation told Yahoo last week that all of its operations include consultation “with the Aboriginal community” and it follows “Operational Guidelines for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage”.
Asked to clarify, it is yet to say whether it has spoken to the Gumbaynggirr but said it engaged with “recognised Aboriginal representatives for the local area.”
Will the forest grow back?
Forestry Corporation has characterised its logging coup as a “regrowth forest”, adding it has harvested the trees before and they have grown back multiple times.
But Aunty Alison sees the forest through a cultural viewpoint and rather than forest management she sees destruction. “On the drive into Newry State Forest, there’s a big opening where they’ve logged before,” she said. “Now most of the time I can’t even look at that,” she said.
“It’s going to take humanity a long time to heal that wound. And it will take humanity a long time to heal.”
RFS extinguishes cultural fire in front of Nunguul
As elders worked to protect their forest, they directed the lighting of a small cultural fire on a dirt road leading into the forest. Why it was extinguished on July 31 remains contested.
Forestry Corporation told Yahoo it understands the fire was actually lit as part of “a protest”. Responding to a question about why the fire was put out, it noted the region was at maximum drought factor for NSW.
But this portrayal of the event has been contested by opponents of the loggers. “I think they're just making an excuse,” Ms Greenwood told Yahoo.
She maintains the fire was part of a cultural ceremony and that her people have expertly been handling flames in the Australian landscape for time immemorial.
“It's a part of our ceremonies. And it gives us deep strength and connection with Mother Earth and our ancestors,” she told Yahoo. “They put it out and they told us to move along and pushed us away from the area.”
Protester Zianna Fuad noted it is currently winter, and despite the lack of rain, she believes there were no bans in place when the fire was lit.
NSW Police tells yet another story. It issued a statement advising the fire had been impacting the flow of traffic as it was lit on a road. It said protesters refused to remove it, so the RFS was called.
The RFS did not respond to requests for comment from Yahoo about whether it has a policy about extinguishing sacred fires.
More on logging in Australia
Controversial plan to bulldoze cultural site for waterfront development paused
Beef industry under fire after controversial satellite data release
Which animals call the forest home?
Victoria and Western Australia have announced plans to end native forest logging, just as South Australia did years ago. But NSW environment minister Penny Sharpe indicated earlier this year the Minns Labor Government was not considering doing the same.
The state government committed at the last election to incorporating state forest into the proposed Great Koala National Park. Around 176,000 hectares will be assessed for inclusion, but conservationists are concerned areas like Newry State Forest could be logged before the park is created.
Environment group Nature Conservation Council has accused Forestry Corporation of putting the endangered koalas living in the forest at risk. Its CEO Jacqui Mumford said there is evidence at least three generations of koalas have lived in the forest.
“Anyone interested to see how Australia treats the endangered koala need look no further than Newry State Forest,” its CEO Jacqui Mumford said.
Forestry Corporation said it selectively logs forests and protects areas including old growth, wetlands and habitat for wildlife including koalas.
“Importantly, every harvest area is regrown to ensure the same forests continue to provide habitat, and produce renewable timber for future generations,” it said.
The fight over Newry State Forest continues.
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