Logged forests are not growing back Both government politicians and their funded logging monopoly VicForests, have for years claimed that forests grow back after being clearfelled. We wish it were true. Those that do struggle back become single aged, more uniform ‘tree farms’. They are no longer healthy biodiverse forests. The other 30-50% have become…
Continue Reading Will the Government restore once healthy forests?
In March 2024, the government made it public that VicForests would be dismantled by June 2024. But can we finally relax? It seems like VicForests is simply being re-badged and most staff and logging contractors are being moved over into DEECA and its subsidiary, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV). FFMV cut down huge areas of…
Jonny Korman, Dr Kylie Weston-Scheuber, and Kwabena Adjei Larbi Our crack legal team won a series of decisive legal cases in the Victorian Supreme Court in November 2022, the ultimate outcome of which has been the end of most native forest logging in our State. Environment East Gippsland, Kinglake Friends of Forests, and Gippsland Environment…
“If the budget ditched the Stage 3 tax cuts, Australia could save every threatened species – and lots more” “Scientists have estimated about $1.7bn a year is needed to fix Australia’s degraded ecosystems and wild places.” “We can’t settle for a slow jog when the climate crisis calls for a sprint. Climate change is already…
Continue Reading The 2023 Federal Budget offerings for environment and climate change
VicForests has broken a new record – in multi-million-dollar losses. A $54 million loss was declared in its annual report tabled on 20th December 2022. Victoria has an insolvent state owned business losing $54 million of tax-payer dollars in 2021-22 – on top of almost 2 decades of annual losses, proven cases of illegal logging…
Immediately ending native forest logging across Victoria’s central highlands, would generate an extra $60 million in benefits for the state this decade alone.
Supreme Court rules in favour of effective detection and protection of rare gliders – with scathing comments on VicForests’ logging
Opinion piece reprinted from The Age 16/7/22 I have worked in the forests of Victoria since July 1983. Today I’m the most highly cited forest ecologist globally and have written 48 books on the subject. One of the most difficult times in my career in that 40 years was after the 2009 Black Saturday fires,…
Continue Reading The state government is increasing our bushfire risk right now
Scientists hope the belated listing of fires as a threat to forest species can stop the destructive use of hazard-reduction burning.
Continue Reading The case against prescribed burning to fight bushfires
Celebrate – don’t incarcerate them June 24, 2022 Across the country, extreme laws targeting the people protecting our precious forests are being introduced. In Victoria the Andrews govt is threatening to fine people who try to protect forests from bulldozers up to $21,000 or jail them for 12 months. As well they are increasing VicForests…
