Reflex is made from ripping down the beautiful ash forests of the Central Highlands, Melbourne’s water catchments and the home of the endangered state faunal emblem, the Leadbeaters Possum. The Wilderness Society and other enviro groups have been trying to negotiate a win-win outcome with the makers of Reflex paper for the last five years. …
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has caved into Australia’s forest practitioners by amending a Green Star Rating Scheme that will endorse timber from destructive clearfelling operations in old growth forests, said the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) today. “The GBCA has given in to extreme pressure from representatives of state government forestry agencies and …
After discussions between green groups and the certifying agents of the Forest Stewardship Council in mid 2009 – supposedly the most reputable forest certifying body in the world, VicForests were thankfully refused endorsement by the FSC. Certifying logging – should we ever endorse native forest logging? In 2007 the logging industry was desperately grabbing for …
Large-scale logging could increase bushfire risk for Australia’s moist mountain ash forests, creating bigger fuel loads and drier, more combustible conditions, new research says. A world-first study led by Australian National University ecologist Professor David Lindenmayer has found gaps in the forest canopy allow the forest floor to dry out, increasing flammability by as much …
Greg Barber, Greens member for Northern Metro, asked Environment Minister Gavin Jennings what controls have been put in place given the significant number of fires caused by salvage logging operations in November in the Central Highlands. These fires started when dry logs dragged across others on the ground, amongst logging debris, generated heat enough to …
Immediate protection for Brown Mountain’s forests, under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act has been triggered by an endangered species. The very same day that Environment Minister Gavin Jennings declared there were no Potoroos at Brown Mountain (Friday 21st August), the image of a Long-footed Potoroo was captured on infra-red movement sensing cameras (pictures available). …
Environment East Gippsland has applied for an injunction in the Supreme Court of Victoria to stop the logging of Brown Mountain. On Friday 21st August the Brumby Government announced the go-ahead to clearfell the controversial 600-800 year old forest along Brown Mountain Creek that they promised in 2006 would be the ‘old growth walk’ for …
Northern Victoria’s highest water-producing forests would produce 15 per cent more water by the end of the century if logging ceased immediately, a report will say today. The increased water flows would benefit the two rivers most important to agriculture and food production in Victoria: the Goulburn and the Murray. The report, commissioned by the …
The report Woodchipping Our Water assesses how the logging of mature forests in the Goulburn River catchment threatens the enormous water production and carbon sequestration potential of the region.The Goulburn River is one of Australia’s most important and degraded river systems. It supplies water to many regional towns and cities, including Shepparton, Bendigo and Ballarat. …
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 …
