The community is still waiting for real protection to be provided to the outstanding River Red Gum forests that line the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers. The State Government abandoned plans to conduct a Western Regional Assessment in the Riverina two years ago, and very little has happened since. In the forests of the Riverina, few controls are exercised on logging operations in forests on private and public land, and a recent community audit of operations there discovered clearfells right along the river. NSW legislation allows loggers to exploit River Red Gums along the Murray River and sell them in Victoria for cheap products such as garden woodchips, firewood and railway sleepers. Trees with up to 1.5 metre diametres, that might be more than a hundred years old, are felled for low-value products and sometimes not even milled in NSW. Environmentalists and Traditional Owners on both sides of the border are fed up waiting for real protection for these forests. Write a letter to the State Government, or call HCEC or the National Parks Association (9299 0000) for more information on how you can help.