PROFILE ON PRESTON

Location
220km south of Perth, 50km, south east of Bunbury, 28km from Donnybrook, just south of the Preston River.

Description
Consists of laterite uplands covered by open forests of jarrah and marri with a complex understorey containing banksias, snottygobble, sheoak, tassel flower and zamia. Valley vegetation comprises mainly of open forest of yarri (blackbutt), marri and jarrah with a mixture of peppermint and flooded gum.

The most important part of Preston is the substantial area of uncut jarrah forest in the north east corner.

Fauna
Habitat to black glove wallaby, chudich, ringtail and brushtail possums, southern brown bandicoot and brushtail phascogale.

It is a designated disease risk area in the buffer area.

History
The Preston area was being logged in the 1930's just prior to the war. When war broke out and all able bodied men were required to enlist, the falling was abandoned. After the war the area was considered too small to be worth setting up the infrastructure to go back into.

The Australian Heritage Commission listed Preston on the Interim of National Estate listing on 16/8/90. (Number 16465).

High conservation value recognised as far back as 1987 and then confirmed in CALM's Forest Region Management Plan where it was recommended to put aside 2,700ha as a Management Priority Area. This meant it would be managed for its high conservation value and would not be available for logging. The 300ha core of the virgin forest was recommended as a National Park.

This was amended in 1994 -2003 Management Plan to a 300ha Proposed Conservation Park. EPA bulletin 652 recommended to enlarge the area because of its high value flora and fauna and landscape, that it be made a conservation priority of 800ha. Increase buffer zones to protect ecological values.

CALM routed the Bibbulmun track through the area because of its high conservation values. Under the Regional Forest Agreement the Preston Conservation Park has been revoked and the area is now downgraded to state forest, thereby making it available for logging. The forest has not changed - it is still of high conservation value, however under the RFA, Preston did not meet the new "criteria" for conservation status. All that is reserved under the RFA is 200 metres either side of the Bibbulmun Track - this was supposed to cover the area of virgin forest within the former proposed conservation park. However the virgin forest far exceeds this area. It is therefore obvious that an error has been made with regard to Preston in the RFA.