Of the million-plus hectares of forest that burnt in last summer’s fires, DSE’s Chief Fire Officer, Ewan Waller, admitted they lit up 100,000 ha of that area in back burns. Many of which got away and threatened the towns of Bruthen, Tambo Crossing and Swifts Creek. This autumn, another 100,000 ha of forest that didn’t …
We can expect the logging fraternity and their friends in government to frantically paint themselves as having a major role to play in combating climate change. Joe Helper, the Victorian Minister for Agriculture, said new carbon trading markets and the consequent value given to carbon soaks could be big business for our logging companies. In …
A History of Campaigns to Save Victoria’s Native Forests This 340-page book documents for the first time major Victorian forest campaigns from the earliest times up to 2005. It was written and collated by Dr Rod Anderson, a past Environment Victoria forest campaigner, (disappointingly, EV no longer supports a forest campaign). This book looks at …
On the 3rd February 1997, the $830 million Regional Forest Agreement process signed over its first casualty – the much sought after forests of East Gippsland. Other areas around Australia followed suit. Gazillions of dollars profit have gone into the pockets of overseas woodchip and paper companies and a few of their middlemen here in …
Before the election the Bracks government made a quiet little offering to get rid of the niggling pressure they were under regarding their long time promise to protect the Gippsland Strzelecki forests. Their offer was a compromise to protect the important central sites and its connecting links (called ‘cores and links’) but if you read …
The Howard Government has conceded logging in Tasmania may be illegal, but is refusing to act against it. The federal Forestry Minister, Eric Abetz, initially poo-pood the claim that there were national implications from the Tasmanian Wielangta court case. Now he’s bemoaning the fact that the judgment could affect all sorts of land uses (and …
The federal Forestry Minister, Eric Abetz, initially poo-poo-d the claim that there were national implications from the Tasmanian Wielangta court case. Now he’s bemoaning the fact that the judgment could affect all sorts of land uses (and abuses). So – he’ll work to change environmental laws to aid developers and exploiting industries. The decision found …
Two hundred years ago the Sooty owl was abundant and fed on about 18 species of ground prey in Gippsland. Today they have only two or three to chose from. Other species are under similar pressure. Many of our native animals have become sparser in numbers and their range has shrunk. Some, like the Southern …
The Exclusive Brethren’s manipulation of election campaigns has been a major influence in politics. Now it’s been revealed how companies infiltrate the political sphere to direct major decisions in their favour. Multinational packaging company Amcor who owned the PaperlinX woodchip and paper mill in the Latrobe Valley, were involved in corporate spying on green groups …
The Japanese export woodchip mill at Eden in NSW held a celebration for all past and present staff and families in early December to mark the first time in the mill’s 36-year history that it has produced one million tonnes of woodchips for export in one year. Most of this was thanks to three main …
