8. OLD GROWTH FORESTS

Logging industry propaganda

• There is 100,000 ha of forest set aside in the Otways that will potentially one day grow into old growth so there will be plenty of old growth in the future and we do not have to worry. Link
  
  
• All old growth is protected in SPZ reserves and not logged. Link
  
  
• All the Otways has been logged and is now regrowth forest except for forest in the Big Trees Reserve and Olangolah (Colac) water supply. Link

Brief Response

There is 100,000 ha of forest set aside in the Otways that will potentially one day grow into old growth so there will be plenty of old growth in the future and we do not have to worry.

• The 100,000 ha of reserves includes many non-commercial vegetation types including a lot of heath-land.
  See Otway tall mountain forests lacking protection.
  
  
• The tall wet forests of the Otways are where the mountain ash, mountain grey gum and tree ferns grow. A large proportion of wet forests that are the most valuable source of timber resources in the Otways are not protected and will never become old growth forest.
  See West RFA protected a small amount of wet mountain forest

All old growth is protected in SPZ reserves and not logged.

• A lot of old forest within state forest is located in Special Protection Zones (SPZ). SPZ areas are not legislated reserves and can be changed to allow logging. It is unlikely any forest in these areas will ever be allowed to mature to old growth forest or remain as old growth forest into the future.
  See SPZ,s are temporary reserves
  
  See West RFA protected a small amount of wet mountain forest
  
  See Otway tall mountain forests lacking protection.
  

All the Otways was logged in the past and there is now no old growth forests except for trees in the Big Trees Reserve and Olangolah (Colac) water supply .

• Many areas in the Otways contains high stand densities of veteran trees. Veteran trees are pre-European in age and were left behind by past selective logging operations and wild fires. These trees provide old growth values despite past disturbance.
  See hollow bearing trees.
  
  
• The definition of old growth forest adopted by Forestry Victoria and the RFA process is contentious and has not been accepted by a large proportion of the scientific community.
  
  
• The old growth definitions adopted by Forestry Victoria require an area must be untouched by Europeans and do not allow for forest with a high stand density of veteran trees.
  See hollow bearing trees.
  

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