Clearfell Logging in the Otway Forested Catchments - Water Yield and Water Quality Issues Otway Ranges Environment Network
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Community Concern: Failure of RFA to address concerns
The Regional Forest Agreement failed to address
Community Concerns about logging in water supply catchments.
  • During the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) process for the Otways in 1999, public concern again made the impact of logging practices in domestic water catchments an issue. As a consequence, the State and Federal government hosted a hydrology summit in Geelong on the 1st December 1999. The summit concluded more hydrology research needed to be conducted in the Otways
  • Logging prescriptions specified in the RFA to protect water yield are exactly the same as the existing prescriptions in the 1992 Otway Forest Management Plan. The Minister for Natural Resources and Environment (Sherryl Garbutt) made misleading assurances the RFA process would provide domestic water supply catchments with additional protection from logging practices. A Press Release dated 31 March 2000 stated, 
"Ms. Garbutt said additional restrictions had been placed on timber harvesting in the Otways in preparation for a hydrology study into the effects of logging on water yields and quality in catchments."
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