Total fines $589,200 (since October 2017)
Outstanding >$18,000,000
12 July 2022
Prosecution launched: Potentially $18,000,000 (9 breaches with maximum penalty of $2,000,000 each)
Breach: Felling six giant and seven hollow-bearing trees
Location: Wild Cattle Creek Forest
When: 2020
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has launched its second prosecution this year against Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) for allegedly failing to retain habitat for local wildlife, by felling giant and hollow-bearing trees in Wild Cattle Creek State Forest, near Coffs Harbour.
29 June 2022
Fine: 3 offences totalling $230,000
Breach: Failed to mark the boundary of an environmentally sensitive area, a potential bat roost for the Eastern Horseshoe Bat
Location: Dampier State Forest
When: May 2019
Mapping errors in Dampier State Forest near Bodalla, have cost Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) $230,000 after the Land and Environment Court convicted FCNSW for breaching its approval and carrying out unlawful forestry activities in an exclusion zone.
23 June 2022
Fine: $15,000 (max fine – even though 26 trees were felled)
Breach: Hollow bearing trees were either damaged or felled.
Location: South Brooman State Forest
When: July 2020
Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) has been fined $15,000 for allegedly failing to comply with a post bushfire condition imposed to protect critical habitat in a forest near Batemans Bay.
20 June 2022
Prosecution launched – Potentially more than $230,000?
Breach: Cutting and removing 53 trees in a Category 1 Environmentally Significant Area
Location: Yambulla State Forest
When: Between March and July 2020
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has launched a prosecution alleging Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) breached conditions imposed to aid the recovery of the Yambulla State Forest, near Eden after the 2019/20 bushfires.
16 June 2022
Fine: $135,600 (plus $150,000 in legal costs)
Breach: Two charges were for the felling of trees in protected rainforest areas, a third charge was for the felling of two trees in an exclusion zone around warm temperate rainforest, and the fourth was for felling four trees and other forestry activities in a Koala Exclusion Zone.
Location: Wild Cattle Creek Forest
When: 2018
Fines and costs totalling $285,600 have been levelled against Forestry Corporation NSW (FCNSW) after the Land and Environment Court found tree felling in exclusion zones had done “actual harm” to koala habitat in Wild Cattle Creek Forest near Coffs Harbour.
11 April 2022
Fine: 3 offences totalling $45,000 (max fine)
Breach: Felling hollow bearing trees
Location: Mogo State Forest
When: 2020
Destroying the habitat of endangered species has cost Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) $45,000 in fines.
01 March 2021
Fine: 2 breaches totalling $33,000 and 3 official cautions for failure to mark-up eucalypt feed trees.
Breach: For not including the critically endangered Swift Parrot records in planning for operations
Location: Boyne, Bodalla and Mogo State forests
When: 2019
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) with two penalty notices for allegedly not including the critically endangered Swift Parrot records in planning for operations, and has also delivered three official cautions for an alleged failure by FCNSW to mark-up eucalypt feed trees, an essential source of food for the birds, prior to harvesting.
26 February 2021
Fine: 2 breaches totalling $30,000 and an official caution for a subsequent breach.
Breach: EPA Officers identified 10 freshly cut mature trees within the hard and soft protection zones of a second order stream; a significant amount of debris pushed into a stream bed; and evidence of machine access, and earthworks caused by harvesting machinery within a protected zone.
Location: Ballengarra State Forest
When: ?
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued two penalty notices and one official caution to Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) for allegedly contravening regulatory requirements, in the Ballengarra State Forest in the mid north coast of NSW.
18 February 2021
Fine: $15,000
Breach: Failure to mark the exclusion zone resulted in three mature trees being felled and 0.23 hectares of riparian vegetation removed to create a snig transport track.
Location: Olney State Forest
When: January 2019 and March 2020
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has fined Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) for allegedly failing to mark up a protected zone during a logging operation on the NSW Central Coast.
27 April 2020
Fine: 2 offences totalling $30,000
Breach: not marking an adequate number of trees for retention and for not marking the boundary of an environmentally sensitive area as an exclusion zone, required to protect the habitat of the Powerful Owl.
Location: Tantawangalo State Forest
When: 2019
The NSW Environment Protection Authority has fined Forestry Corporation of NSW following investigations into forestry operations in southern NSW.
27 April 2020
Fine: $1,100
Breach: Not marking an adequate number of habitat trees that needed to be retained.
Location: Bago State Forest
When: 2018
The NSW Environment Protection Authority has fined Forestry Corporation of NSW following investigations into forestry operations in southern NSW.
10 April 2019
Fine: $16,500
Breach: failed to implement the required protections for the rare threatened plant, Melichrus gibberagee, despite knowing of its location.
Location: Gibberagee State Forest
When: September 2017
The NSW Environment Protection Authority has fined Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) a total of $16,500 after the organisation allegedly conducted forestry activities in an exclusion zone of a rare, threatened plant in Gibberagee State Forest.
31 July 2018
Fine: $30,000
Breach: breaching their environment protection licence and causing water pollution
Location: Gladstone State Forest
When: March 2018
The Forestry Corporation of NSW has been fined $30,000 for allegedly breaching their environment protection licence and causing water pollution during harvesting operations at Gladstone State Forest during March 2018.
11 October 2017
Fine: $8,000
Breach: failure to thoroughly search for a rocky outcrop in Compartment 2330 of Glenbog State Forest and as a result the outcrop was not identified or protected.
Location: Glenbog State Forest
When: 2013
Last Thursday, the Forestry Corporation of NSW was convicted in the Land and Environment Court and fined $8,000 following a plea of guilty to an offence that occurred during logging operations in Glenbog State Forest, near Bemboka in the south east of NSW.