Is the sun really setting on VicForests?

In March 2024, the government made it public that VicForests would be dismantled by June 2024. But can we finally relax? It seems like VicForests is simply being re-badged and most staff and logging contractors are being moved over into DEECA and its subsidiary, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV). FFMV cut down huge areas of …

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The 2023 Federal Budget offerings for environment and climate change

“If the budget ditched the Stage 3 tax cuts, Australia could save every threatened species – and lots more” “Scientists have estimated about $1.7bn a year is needed to fix Australia’s degraded ecosystems and wild places.” “We can’t settle for a slow jog when the climate crisis calls for a sprint. Climate change is already …

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VICFORESTS IS BANKRUPT

VicForests has broken a new record – in multi-million-dollar losses. A $54 million loss was declared in its annual report tabled on 20th December 2022. Victoria has an insolvent state owned business losing $54 million of tax-payer dollars in 2021-22 – on top of almost 2 decades of annual losses, proven cases of illegal logging …

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The state government is increasing our bushfire risk right now

Opinion piece reprinted from The Age 16/7/22 I have worked in the forests of Victoria since July 1983. Today I’m the most highly cited forest ecologist globally and have written 48 books on the subject. One of the most difficult times in my career in that 40 years was after the 2009 Black Saturday fires, …

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Forest protectors are heroes!

Celebrate – don’t incarcerate them June 24, 2022 Across the country, extreme laws targeting the people protecting our precious forests are being introduced. In Victoria the Andrews govt is threatening to fine people who try to protect forests from bulldozers up to $21,000 or jail them for 12 months.  As well they are increasing VicForests …

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FORESTS NOT GROWING BACK!

“You would have to describe VicForests as an outlaw organisation”
…the Victorian Government’s own data and shows a third of the areas logged don’t regenerate.,

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Our bio-diversity in freefall – Vic Govt report

This should be making news daily until the government takes real action – a third of all of Victoria’s terrestrial plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, invertebrates and ecological communities are threatened with extinction. The Victorian Auditor General’s Office looks at various aspects of government departments, if they are performing well, using money effectively and carrying …

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VIC GOVT PLAN WOULD DESTROY WILDLIFE TO PROTECT LOGGING

Major planned changes to logging rules would protect industry but allow destruction of rare wildlife in the most brazen and contemptuous move we have seen.Can plans to give the logging bullies unregulated access to forests get any worse?! VicForests is facing constant legal battles as community groups are forced to sue them in courts (currently …

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VicForests: What a scam!

An investigative journalist working with Micheal West has exposed a neat little summary of figures in this story to show that VicForests is one of the state’s biggest welfare recipients, and doesn’t even need to meet any mutual obligations. Tasha May | Jun 9, 2021 | Michaelwest.com.au The trees were cut down, the profits of …

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Will a tiny endangered possum now fell the logging industry?

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 …

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