As communities emerged from summer’s megafires, VicForests was conveniently contracted to remove ‘hazardous trees’ along East Gippsland’s roadsides. In reality, the term ‘looting’ comes to mind.
Make a cuppa and settle in. This article is a brilliant (if lengthy) read. It gives a very clear and detailed summary of both the history of and more recent, logging disputes. It details the Federal Court win against VicForests, the poor economics, fibs, market responses and the underhanded lengths the industry and government go …
It looks like the small areas offered for Greater Glider protection are lower quality. Old growth will be handed to VicForests to identify.
The protective vegetation of ancient mahogany trees were destroyed as part of planned burn ‘management’. Some of these were hundreds of years old and posed no risk to anyone. Yet no one is accountable for this shameful vandalism.
We are told clearfell logging is ‘sustainable’ and they protect the natural values … like this lonely, retained ‘habitat tree’.
Both major parties have chosen to bow down to industry and/or union pressure to allow the burning of public forests for power generation.
On 15 March 2019 the Victorian government released a review of the regulation of logging in Victoria. The evidence is in and it is damning. Logging in Victoria is not effectively regulated.
Labor has said it would allow our forests to fuel furnaces for electricity generation if it gets in – as part of its proposed new environment legislation!
