ANGER over the terms of last month's forest buy-back deal between Hancock Victoria Plantations (HVP) and the Victorian Government has continued to mount, with environmental groups vowing to accelerate the fight to protect sensitive areas of the Strzelecki Ranges.
About 100 people took part in a community tour of the forest's College Creek and Merrimans Creek areas last Sunday.
Plantations within these two areas are likely to be cleared as part of a once-off harvest by HVP which was agreed to in the recent deal.
Friends of the Gippsland Bush secretary Susie Zent organised the tour and fears native forest at the two sites will perish if the plantations, which provide a buffer around the forest, are harvested.
``The feeling we got yesterday was that people are very angered, they are not going to sit down quietly and accept that outcome,'' Ms Zent told The Express.
``We are really tired of this region being sacrificed,'' she said.
Last month the government announced it would buy back 8000 hectares of the Strzelecki Ranges known as the `cores and links' which is recognised for its high conservation value.
After years of lobbying the government to protect the cores and links, a final deal with HVP was a long time coming for environmental groups.
But they believe the government and HVP have reneged on promises made in a 2006 Heads of Agreement which protected College Creek and Merrimans Creek from harvesting.
Both sites are within the cores and links area.
Friends of the Gippsland Bush and Friends of the Earth have slammed the new deal and said the community tour was ``just the beginning'' of their protest.
``The only outcome this new arrangement between the government and HVP guarantees is the ultimate destruction of the Strzelecki wet and cool temperate rainforests containing many threatened species,'' Ms Zent said.
``I don't see that we should be celebrating the demise of the Strzelecki Rainforest.''
As part of the recent agreement the government and HVP will permanently protect 20,000 hectares of forest in the Strzelecki Ranges.
This includes an extra 15,000 hectares of native bushland.
But 1500 hectares within the cores and links will be subject to a once-off harvest by HVP so it can meet its contractual obligations with Australian Paper's Maryvale Mill. It will then be regenerated.
HVP Gippsland general manager Owen Trumper confirmed last week the College Creek and Merrimans Creek plantations were likely to be part of the 1500 hectare harvest.
According to Ms Zent it was originally agreed a Heads of Agreement signed by the government, HVP, Australian Paper, Trust for Nature and community representatives in 2006 would protect the two areas because of their fragility.
Friends of the Earth spokesperson Anthony Amis said he was still ``furious'' environmental groups were excluded from discussions in the recent deal.
Earlier this year discussions between the government and environmental groups over the deal were abandoned because an agreement could not be reached, according to Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings.
The government then continued negotiations with HVP.
Environmental groups including The Wilderness Society, Victorian National Parks Association and Trust for Nature all welcomed the final deal.
But Mr Amis said the support of local environmental groups who are familiar with the history of the Strzeleckis was the most valuable and the government didn't have that.
The cores and links cover total of 8482 hectares of forest; 2411 of which is plantation and 6071 of native bush or custodial land.
It was established in 2001 after a report found the area contained the highest value conservation sites in the Strzeleckis including `core' rare cool temperate rainforests and `links' from the Gunyah Gunyah Rainforest Reserve to Tarra Bulga National Park.
The area was sold to HVP when the forestry industry was privatised.
Friends of the Gippsland Bush is planning to hold a community meeting on 27 July at Boolarra Hall.
For details phone Ms Zent on 51691588.
She said the group also planned to invite Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings to speak to the community at some stage.
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