Armidale NPA is very concerned about the well being of Greater Gliders and numerous other endangered and vulnerable listed species in the Styx River State Forest.
Also of course all the area’s terrestrial mammal, bird, fish and invertebrate species – the whole biodiversity of the Styx Forest terrestrial and riparian habitats. Almost all of the Styx River State Forest has been closed to the public south of the Armidale-Kempsey Road. Heavy logging is occurring and can be viewed from Raspberry Road which is a public road and therefore open for access to East and West Kunderang, other private properties and national park sites in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
We are urging people to write to the NSW Premier and the Minister for the Environment to seek immediate cessation of logging in the Styx River State Forest and an urgent assessment of Forestry Corporation surveying methods for Greater Gliders as well as a request that the whole of Styx River State Forest become a protected area.
We have listed information below to assist you in your letters to the politicians and recommend that you add your own appreciation and experiences of relating to the natural values of the Styx River and Forest.
Write to The Hon Chris Minns, Premier of NSW
Write to The Hon Penny Sharpe, Minister for Climate Change, Energy, Environment & Heritage
Please resond to the Draft National Recovery Plan for Greater Gliders Feedback closes 19 December 2025
Talking points:
- Styx River State Forest (SRSF approx. 16,000 hectares), located 60 kms east of Armidale, forms a link between World Heritage listed New England and Oxley Wild Rivers National Parks & adjoins Cunnawarra National Park.
- The SRSF is home to the Southern Greater Glider (Petauroides volans) listed in 2022 as Endangered under NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act & Commonwealth EPBC Act
- At least 22 other species in SRSF are listed as endangered or vulnerable
- Why focus on Greater Gliders ? Because Forestry Corp are obliged to protect glider den trees but not feed trees
- Greater Gliders require a series of big hollows in old trees to survive. Forestry Corporation NSW logs the same species of trees in Styx Forest that provide habitat for Greater Gliders and many other arboreal species. Essential feed trees & undisclosed dens destroyed
- They weigh 1-2 kg. in weight, but with their limbs outstretched appear much larger. They normally produce one only young per year, so protection of breeding habitat is essential to prevent extinction.
- SRSF forest is excellent habitat for Greater Gliders. Of the 7000 Greater Glider records in Bionet NSW since November 2022, 20% of those are from Styx River State Forest.
- Forestry Corporation NSW survey methodology is flawed – there are a total of 333 den tree records for SRSF in Bionet but only 14 of these are recorded by Forestry Corporation. The remaining 319 are from scientific licence holders
- The greatest threats to Greater Gliders are bushfires, land clearing and logging of mature forest as Greater Gliders absolutely require old trees with hollows including New England Blackbutt and tall sclerophyll forests
- Forestry Corporation NSW is targetting the same species in Styx Forest that provide habitat for Greater Gliders and many other arboreal species
- In SRSF an environmental impact statement of the forest area designated for logging, forestry surveys found no Greater Gliders. A community group found 13 Greater Gliders in the area targeted for logging immediately before logging commenced. It was subsequently destroyed.
- In NSW 2019-2020 fires affected 40% of greater glider habitat. In NSW between 2002-2020 Greater Glider population reduced by 47%.
- SRSF was impacted in 20219-2020 bushfires therefore no more of the forest should be destroyed to maintain Greater Glider + other endangered species.
- Numerable breaches by Forestry Corporation have been reported to, and investigated by the Environmental Protection Authority
- NSW taxpayers are subsidising logging of native forests. Over last 4 years, Forestry Corporation lost over $70 million from its Hardwood Forest Division NSW government
