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FEARS have again raised surrounding the future of the Newnes State Forest at the most recent meeting of Lithgow City Council.
On Thursday June 18, 2015, The Lithgow Mercury reported that the Forestry Corporation of NSW had indicated that they had no immediate plans to re-plant in the Newnes State Forest, where current logging operations are winding down.
This will have much more far-reaching repercussions than just a decrease of logging trucks on local roads.
Concerns have again been brought before council that if the State Forest status if Newnes lapses, the area may become an extension of the national park system across the region.
The logging operations in the Newnes State Forest plantation have been been a feature of the forestry industry for decades.
The forest has also been a popular recreational area for a multitude of activities.
Should State Forest status lapse and national parks become involved, access to the popular tourist area in its current form will cease.
There are also implications for the mining industry, with mining banned underneath national parks.
It was this restriction that brought a sudden end to the old Grose Valley-Canyon Colliery between Bell and Mt Victoria several years ago.
Cr Ray Thompson brought the issue to the attention of Council and it was declared a matter of great urgency.
Following some discussion, councillors resolved to make representations to the Member for Bathurst Paul Toole and Minister Niall Blair in relation to NSW Forestry Corporation maintaining forestry operations in the Newnes Plateau.
Mr Toole was also notified of these concerns after the issue was initially raised in June 2015.
The Forestry Corporation of NSW were contacted for comment on the situation.