In 2009, EEG decided to roll out the big guns and sue the state government for breaking its own laws. This set a major precedent, allowing environment groups to sue the government over its plans to commit, or allow their state owned logging entity to commit an environmental crime. So far we have been successful with six legal challenges and with the financial support of the public we intend to continue suing those who illegally vandalise our forests.
Government can lie to the voters and media but they can’t so easily lie to the courts.
April 2, 2009
A Victorian environment group has radiocarbon-tested a felled old-growth eucalypt and the result suggests the giant gum was at least 500 years old. The battle to save the old-growth forests of Brown Mountain in Victoria’s far east has been waged by environmentalists since 1989. When another coupe was cut down early this year, logging opponents …
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April 2, 2009
Radiocarbon dating has confirmed that a recently logged old growth tree on Brown Mountain was growing before America was discovered. “This is a significant find and should now see the government value and protect all our remaining ancient forests – not just as natural relics but as ancient carbon stores”, said Jill Redwood from Environment …
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December 1, 2008
The campaign video made in 2008 to bring attention to clearfell logging on Brown Mountain, East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.
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November 23, 2008
Brown Mountain is one of the last significant stands of old-growth forest in Victoria. Two weeks ago the Victorian Government ordered the government owned logging company Vic Forests Inc to begin clear-felling the area. Community concern has been ignored with government spokesmen claiming there are no old trees being logged. The government is preventing public …
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September 1, 2008
The immense trees that have sheltered and raised hundreds of generations of owls and gliding possums are now being hacked down by VicForests. The under-storey of tree ferns and waratahs, twining silkpod and musk daisy bush is being crushed into the mud by 40 tonne dozers. Victoria’s Brumby government is allowing their logging department to …
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August 7, 2008
Here’s a quick summary of the Brown Mountain saga so far: This controversial area of National Estate forest has been in the limelight since 1989. Small but viable stands of ancient forest remain after years of butchery. A 20 ha stand of old growth was clearfelled on Brown Mountain over summer 08-09. VicForests lied …
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January 1, 2008
Brown Mountain was assessed and listed as an old growth National Estate area by the Commonwealth Heritage Commission in the 1980s. That means it has the same values as a National Park. The management of these areas were handed to the state government which promptly set about clearfelling them in 1989. The protests on Brown …
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January 1, 2008
In 2006, the then premier, Steve Bracks, made a promise to protect all significant stands of old growth currently available for logging. This, with several other areas called icon forests amounted to about 41,000 ha. However, he also promised there would be no impact on the logging industry – an impossible undertaking. A few days …
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November 30, 2007
Bob Brown has personally poured humungus amounts of his money into legally challenging Forestry Tasmania’s plan to clearfell the Wielangta (pron. why-lang-ta) forests in Tassie, with its many endangered species. The initial judge ruled in his favour to halt logging. Forestry Tasmania then appealed. On November 30th, the Federal Court of Appeal agreed that logging …
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February 2, 2007
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 …
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