The latest proposed changes to the Forests Act makes the Bracks Government less accountable and less obliged to consider biodiversity. A new Bill is ready to be passed that will set up an arm of DSE called Vicforests to manage the commercial side of logging. Premier Bracks made a pre-election promise that the Department of …
New legislative measures for Tiger Quolls are coming in thick and fast, with upgraded “protection” at both State and Federal level. Following the new Action Statement at State level last year, the Feds announced on May 17 that Tiger Quolls are in deep trouble and should be upgraded to “endangered”. I tell you what, if …
The more important anniversary for the nation wasn’t PM Howard’s 30 years on the taxpayers’ teat that was celebrated recently in Sydney, but his eight years as PM and the 6 million tonnes of native forest chips per year he’s approved since 1996. Conservatively, that’s 45 million tonnes during that time as PM (refer ABARE …
Is it double vision or short vision? There seems to be no logic behind the government’s push for more plantations Have you ever noticed how foresters, economists and engineers all seem to suffer from the ‘bigger is grander’ syndrome? Size is their obsession too. How did they decide on this target? Well just don’t you …
APM, AMCOR, Australian Paper, Paperlinx, whatever you want to call this huge Latrobe Valley pulp and paper mill, they clearly have very close connections with the state and federal governments. Donations and gifts flow freely between them (see the article here on political donations from woodchip companies). In April, while touring Gippsland’s now marginal seat …
Despite last year’s 43% cutbacks, there was still a serious overcutting by the industry – with the full approval of DSE foresters. This year is supposed to see a reduction to make up for it. However, this year’s draft logging plan (called Wood Utilisation Plans or WUPs) has shown again how slap dash the whole …
The damning results of the Environment Protection Authority audit of logging practices in East Gippsland was released in January. Never daunted by criticism, the DSE crowed about its ‘continuous improvement’! The results show a worsening of adherence to many environmental protection codes – not an improvement. In past internal DSE audits, loggers and foresters scored …
Figures released by the Electoral Commission show the usual donations from the usual logging crowd to their usual political floosies. The CFMEU has apparently not yet submitted most of its returns, so it’s too early to say whether this union retains its position as pre-eminent woodchipping benefactor of the Labor Party. However, there is a …
A recently discovered shining gum in the Result Creek catchment on the Errinundra Plateau could be East Gippsland’s biggest tree. This single tree will now receive protection, but dozens more that don’t make the news, won’t. They were out looking for threatened species but they found a giant tree instead. Rena, Joe and Dave a …
Just two days after this season’s first protest in Ferntree Creek, EEG had to deal with hoax tree spiking claims again. It’s a predictable part of the forest campaign. The industry claims have a long history and rely on public and media gullibility. They are well timed but have never been substantiated. Every year we …
