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- Over 2000 ha set aside for Owls
- Threatened species summit
- How citizens win and what it means for Australians - free seminar
- Have your say on the new risk-based target bushfire response plan
Over 2000 ha set aside for owls!
EEG's 4th successful legal case
 EEG’s fourth Court case challenging the government’s non-adherence to its own environment laws has been settled (17.7.15). This time it was for the owls.
EEG, DELWP and VicForests have agreed that the environment department (DELWP) take action to adhere to legal obligations and increase owl protected areas as well as assess the damage done to owl habitat and study owls post-fire to inform whether new protection zones are necessary. Logging in key areas of unprotected owl habitat scheduled for clearfelling will be halted for 4 years while this work is underway.
The department and VicForests have agreed to:
- move 9 stands of old growth forest off the logging schedule and into protection zones
- put a 4 year moratorium on another 16 stands of prime owl habitat planned for clearfelling
- increase the size of all owl protected areas that are below legal minimums in East Gippsland
- task biologists to study owls post-fire and consider if additional owl protection measures are needed
- carry out assessments of burnt owl zones
- pay a portion of our considerable legal costs
More on the specific areas protected and the background here
Abbott’s Threatened Species Summit - Melbourne
Yesterday, Thursday 16 July 2015, the new Threatened Species Commissioner hosted the  Commonwealth govt’s closed summit (many enviro groups weren’t invited) on threatened species. They’ve chosen 20 critically endangered species to target for (media) attention. The other 1,000 must be too difficult or are a threat to development, logging or mining.
We do agree with the new focus on eradicating feral cats though. Tops marks on that initiative. Though it’s also being used as a distraction from the other major threat – habitat loss. More here
Free seminar: Dutch legal action on climate
How citizens win and what it means for Australians. Environmental Justice Australia and Melbourne University Law School Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law will present a seminar with Ms Marjan Minnesma, the Director of The Urgenda Foundation. This group recently made history with their landmark climate change case in the Netherlands that forced the Dutch government to adopt more stringent climate policies.
When: Thursday 23 July 2015, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Where: Melbourne University, Parkville, Theatre A in the Elisabeth Murdoch building - here
There is no charge for this event but registrations are essential. Read more here
Have your say on the new risk-based target bushfire response plan
The recent report recommends moving from a hectare burn target each year to a more effective strategy. Read a summary here You can get a copy of the report here
The Government will consider community views as part of its consideration on the recommended changes. Send comments, congrats, refinement ideas to: fuel.management@delwp.vic.gov.au by 24 July 2015.
This is a welcome and overdue move. We are concerned though that it could take another year to implement and meanwhile another 300,000 ha of critically important habitat will be torched while this plan is developed. It would be better to halt burn plans meanwhile. Especially so given that the report shows this coarse hectare burn method scored a miserable 13/48 for effectiveness. The environmental damage score was 100%!
Thanks to everyone who made generous donations recently. This latest legal win has again  cost EEG more than the Department has agreed to pay us. Every dollar we receive goes directly to challenge the threats to our forests and wildlife (not to power bills, wages or admin, but straight to the front line).
With the threat of burning forests for electricity becoming a reality, we are now considering options to fight this move so tax deductible donations of any amount are extremely welcome. You might also consider including EEG in your will
Please renew your EEG membership or join us and receive the latest forest news
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