After the 2006 state election, John Thwaites and Steve Bracks promised to protect East Gippsland’s old growth while not reducing what was there for loggers to cut – an impossible task. John Thwaites put a couple of industry supporters in charge of this little job. Meanwhile, other logging lobbyists were demanding more areas of old …
The rich, wet undisturbed forests of Victoria hold over 2,000 tonnes of carbon per hectare in the above-ground biomass.These are astronomical numbers that are far larger than the 90 tonnes the International Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) was using as the default value. The forests of SE Australia, Tasmania and Queensland have an extremely important carbon …
“Is carbon trading a shallow exercise in carbon-shifting and guilt abatement?” Forests – a major player in climate calming. Protecting forests and reforestation could account for 31% of government greenhouse targets set for 2020 according to a report from global heavyweight business consultants McKinsey and Company. The McKinsey Report found that Australia could cut emissions …
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 …
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 …
The natural diversity of unlogged forests makes them very robust. This healthy resilience is extremely valuable at a time when climate disturbance is impacting more harshly on disturbed environments. But besides being sturdy arks and biological refuges, forests are one of the worlds best carbon capture vessels. While the world authorities try to work out …
Environment East Gippsland commissioned an opinion poll of East Gippsland residents in 2002. We believe the results, if a poll was to be carried out now, would show much greater support for forest protection. After years of the Goolengook blockade, in 2002 the government decided to send in the forces to break up the protest …
When Labor announced it would protect all “significant stands” of old growth as part of their 2006 election promises, they must have been using their special parliamentary dictionary. In Eastern Victoria, Mr Bracks protected only 5% of areas identified as critical to extinction-proof native species and protect domestic water catchments. The Forest Alliance had carefully …
Backpackers and tourists seeking a nature-experience have increased by 55% in Gippsland since 2005/2006. Visitors primarily come from Western Europe and the UK to see what they don’t have over there-wild spaces, unmanicured forests, and big, old trees. For some reason, the government have been historically reluctant to promote the green hinterland of Gippsland. Beaches …
Backpackers and tourists seeking a nature experience have increased by 55% in Gippsland since 2005/2006. Visitors primarily come from Western Europe and the UK to see what they don’t have over there – wild spaces, unmanicured forests, and big, old trees. For some reason, the government have been historically reluctant to promote the green hinterland …
