Is the sun really setting on VicForests?
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 forest under the shield of non-accountability called ‘fire management‘. This includes hundreds of kilometers of 40-60 m wide fire breaks (still of unproven value), thinnings, roadside clearing, burning thousands of hectares of forest annually, ‘salvage logging’ and of course prime habitat tree destruction, called ‘hazardous tree removal’.
VicForests, tainted for years as vandals, looters and a massive welfare recipient, can now perform in a similar fashion, only it can claim to be ‘heroes’ keeping us all ‘safe’.
And because they will operate under a different law and Code, they will be immune from legal challenges. Habitat of endangered Quolls, Owls or even Thylacine could be destroyed under the name of ‘fire safety’ – with legal immunity.
The effectiveness of planned burns, thinning, fuel breaks and enthusiastic roadside tree clearing is now highly debated. Research is showing it has minimal effect at best, or seriously counter productive at worst. Much fire management has been unquestioned since the 1800s. In many regions it is not only drying out and destroying a forest’s natural fire resistance, thereby increasing fire intensity, but it’s giving people a false sense of security and further endangering lives. That’s a longer story.
The Agreement with contractors states that all of this tree clearing can be carried out in National Parks and conservation reserves! Imagine the quality habitat that a huge 40-60m wide clearing right through National parks would destroy. But the resulting volume of logs – would be exactly what the industry has been after for decades.
These rampaging vandals that have been given hundreds of millions since 2004, have left thousands of hectares of public forests as barren, bracken-filled wastelands, illegally smashed protected areas, killed rare wildlife and cleared to bare dirt critical habitat and old growth, are now handing over the mess and liabilities to we tax payers. Will those in charge of this scandalous management be given secure jobs further up the govt ladder?
Here’s the ABC news story, and the Age article below.
Despite being caught spying on forest campaigners and having the Supreme Court rule that VicForests illegally logged, the government logging entity still claims it’s a law-abiding, environmentally considerate entity.
My heart is heavy and despairing reading this.
We’re sorry to have to bring you this bad news when we were all starting to rejoice for the forests and animals that we thought were now safe.
We really are up against a serious lot of corruption and crooks. But we are still in the battle!
Keeping fighting is what needs to be done. People who realise the mental health benefits need to be mobilised to spread the word to those who live in cities and for whom a healthy natural environment is not an election issue.