Rules meant to protect endangered gliders increase risk of localised extinction, scientists say

New data has pointed to the “systemic” under-reporting of greater glider dens within areas earmarked for logging in New South Wales, which scientists say could result in localised extinctions.

That is despite new rules introduced last year meant to offer the endangered animal stronger protections.

Environment groups say the new rules have allowed Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW), a state government-owned logging company, to survey less of the forests they plan to log, which has resulted in the number of greater gliders being severely underestimated.

The greater glider is an endangered species that has rapidly declined in numbers over the past 20 years, with native forest logging one of the primary drivers.

Across proposed logging areas within seven NSW state forests since May 2024, citizen scientists counted 918 glider dens, while FCNSW counted 42.

“The newest protocols are definitely not up to scratch,” WWF ecologist Kita Ashman said.

David Lindenmayer, who has studied greater gliders for more than 40 years, said the animal had “gone from being the most common species we would see” to an endangered one.

“We’re going to lose this animal in the next 20 to 30 years if we don’t take serious action now and one of the things that we can do is to not log forests where this animal occurs,” Professor Lindenmayer said

“The impact of not surveying properly is that there will be many areas that are important for greater gliders that are overlooked and that are logged.

The greater glider den count

If a greater glider is spotted, loggers cannot operate within 20 metres of that location.

The sighting of a glider den, however, establishes a 50 metre exclusion zone.

But for that protection to be triggered, a surveyor must see the glider entering or exiting a den.

The discrepancies of the dens counted by the citizen scientists and FCNSW in some areas were in the hundreds.

On the NSW north coast in the Styx River State Forest, citizen scientists counted 338 glider dens, while FCNSW counted nine.

In Enfield State Forest, 176 glider dens were counted by the citizen scientists, while two were counted by FCNSW.

New survey rules known as Site Specific Biodiversity Conditions (SSBC) were introduced in May 2024 following revelations that FCNSW was looking for gliders, a nocturnal species, during the day.

According to the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these conditions were designed to increase habitat retained for greater gliders.

The new rules mandated that surveys had to take place within 30 minutes of sunset, when gliders were most likely to be seen leaving their dens.

However, scientists and environmental groups say the reforms are still not fit for purpose.

While the previous rules required the entire proposed logging area to be searched for glider dens, the new rules say searches only need to occur along roads and tracks.

Dr Ashman estimated that meant only around 5 to 10 per cent of glider habitat was being surveyed.

For the purpose of pointing out the disparities, the surveys conducted by citizen scientists followed most of these new rules, but did not adhere to the requirement to only survey along roads.

“Many of these areas have really beautiful glider habitat throughout, but it’s just not getting surveyed,” Dr Ashman said.

She said even the requirement to survey any time after sunset had limitations, as gliders only came out of dens for a very short time after sunset.

A spokesperson for FCNSW said it conducted its surveys according to the SSBC.

“The SSBC specifies the time of day, location of surveys relative to roads and trails and the speed at which the surveys must take place and Forestry Corporation conducts nocturnal surveys in line with these requirements,” they said.

FCNSW also said information from third parties was considered in its planning process and exclusion zones around den sightings.

James Jooste, CEO of the Australia Forest Product Association, said the rules were clear.

“The EPA, who’s an independent regulator in the space, who wrote those rules, is quite a robust, rigorous organisation,” he said.

“If activist groups have any issues with the rules that the EPA is writing, they should discuss those with the EPA and with the government.”

What makes a ‘den’?

These new rules, as well as exactly what constitutes a glider den, are the subject of a case currently before the NSW Land and Environment Court between South East Forest Rescue (SEFR) and FCNSW.

SEFR has argued the new rule to survey along roads did not override the need for FCNSW to survey the entire proposed logging area for gliders, which was originally set out by NSW forestry laws.

FCNSW, however, said the new rules guided how the surveys mandated in state forestry laws were to be completed.

The case is also examining whether a den is any appropriate hollow in a tree, or if it only becomes a den under the law once a glider is seen entering or exiting the hollow.

Scientists and environmental groups believe the narrow definition of a glider den tree is inhibiting the ability to protect the animal.

Justice Rachel Pepper, who has presided over the case, said she was “struck by the element of chance” contained in the definition set out in the forestry laws.

“It’s a very narrow, very constricted way of being able to activate protection for this species.”

The EPA said it was reviewing the SSBC to assess its effectiveness.

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