The brazen illegal logging of the Snowy National Park, along 60 km of its boundary during the January 2003 fires, shocked many people – even DSE personnel. An investigation was carried out into how this happened and where the logs went. The report has now been officially swept under the carpet. At the time of …
The Bracks government has released new statewide logging prescriptions (though now they’re called “procedures”), combining all regional prescriptions into the one document. The procedures seem to have few changes, at least as far as rainforest is concerned. The Mixed Forest definition (rainforest and eucalypt) is now included but is complex and will be hard to …
Several months ago certain logging interests applied to clearfell part of a Special Protection Zone (conservation area) near the Ada River, to make logging an adjoining coupe more viable. This also happened a few years ago in the Hensleigh Creek area. That time the zone was moved secretly and against the agreed protocol for changing …
First it was Phillip Toynecoat (Toyne) and now Trisha Does-it-pay-as-well (Caswell) . She was arrested in the Tarkine in March 1995 along with Christine Milne and Bob Brown. ACF’s then Director, Tricia Caswell, was campaigning for an end to woodchipping. Now she’s CEO of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI), the body representing the …
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 …
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 …
‘Timber Towns’ an industry PR group, funded by the logging industry, has set up its own group of logging advisors to help those wanting to log private land. They call them “Forest Practitioners” (nice). The State Government gave yet more of our money to this mob to train a few people to oversee logging on …
