Last issue we reported that the Victorian Government had changed the rules to allow deadly 1080 poison to be sold from farmers’ stores around the state. The purchaser just had to show they’d done a half-day handler’s course and they could then buy a truck load. There’s to be very little monitoring of where and …
Between 1990 and 2004, emissions from the Australian energy sector grew by 38%. Other developed nations that are parties to Kyoto had a rise of only 5%. Emissions across all sectors will have risen 16% between the time John Howard first took over in 1996 and 2010 (the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol). …
The Brumby Government is planning to amend Freedom Of Information (FOI) laws to make it easier to get information from government agencies. The Bill will be decided on in the New Year but doesn’t have to be effective until July 2009. It has it’s good and bad sides. Good:the removal of FOI application fee of …
Premier John Brumby recently rejected draft recommendations by the Victorian Environment Assessment Council (VEAC) to flood the Murray with billions of litres of water to save the majestic River Red Gums. According to a leaked copy of the most comprehensive analysis of Murray River Red Gums undertaken, 54% of the forest is in a “deteriorating …
Black Forest Timbers, the large mill out at Woodend, announced its final closure in the middle of the Federal election campaign in October. This timing made many people suspicious. As one friend put it – “They have been the Zen masters of attracting millions of dollars in public money and never showing anything for it.” …
Environment East Gippsland commissioned an opinion poll of East Gippsland residents in 2002. We believe the results, if a poll was to be carried out now, would show much greater support for forest protection. After years of the Goolengook blockade, in 2002 the government decided to send in the forces to break up the protest …
Kevin Rudd is parroting John Howard on every important issue, including forest destruction. Howard slams the unions whenever he can and Rudd kicks unionists out of the Labor party for swearing. And when it comes to the forestry arm of the CFMEU, these unionists are left alone by both sides of politics. The pro-mill, anti-forests …
With the drought hitting irrigators on the Murray side of the range, and Snowy Hydro finding it doesn’t have enough water to generate the power it wants, Politicians are reneging on their legal promise to restore some water to the gasping Snowy River. We’ve always known politicians’ promises don’t count for much, but now they …
The native-forest-logging boat is sinking. It’s old and leaky but the Government keeps burning out bilge pumps trying to keep it afloat. Yet another costly pump is about to be installed. An Industry Transition Taskforce (ITT) Mark 4, will be established to try to help logging workers deal with the ‘challenges’ they face. The Minister …
For years, NSW conservationists have been fighting to find out the price Forests NSW gets for the logs that are woodchipped and shipped to Japan. After a long battle to obtain these figures under Freedom of Information, Gerry Watt, a Tilba conservationist, scored a victory in early September. Stephen Montgomery of The NSW Administrative Decisions …
