A planned burn-off that broke containment lines and went on to destroy homes near Lancefield in central Victoria was under-staffed and poorly planned, an independent report has found. The investigation into last month’s fire found “significant shortcomings” in the way Victoria’s environment department carries out planned burn-offs and communicates with the community. Department of Environment, …
A plan for a new national park to protect the endangered Leadbeater’s possum has been dealt a blow with revelations VicForests locked in millions of dollars worth of new logging contracts. State Labor ducked a proposal to create a Great Forest national park stretching from Kinglake to Mt Baw Baw and north-east up to Eildon in the recent …
View invoice (PDF) here Opening VicForests 2014 – 2015 Annual Report, the corporation’s chairman, Gordon Davies, makes the proud assertion that “These results have enabled us to pay increasing dividends to the Government, providing a financial return to the people of Victoria in addition to all of the social benefits the native timber industry provides”. This is reinforced …
The dingo is an unpaid pest species manager that works every day, yet they continue to be killed in large numbers. In turn this means that dingoes play an equally important role in protecting a long list of threatened and non-threatened Australian species, preyed upon in almost incomprehensible numbers by these feral interlopers. And yet …
One of the arguments often put forward in support of native forest logging is that all forest logged is subsequently regenerated. Even if this were true, and we know that it’s not, it is fatuous to pretend that regenerating forest provides the same ecological opportunities to Australian wildlife as more complex, mature forest that existed …
Does the benefit of conducting planned burns ever really outweigh the risks? That was one of the key questions raised by submitters to the Lancefield/Cobaw planned burn investigation. The draft report of the findings from the investigation is due to be delivered to the secretary of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning tomorrow, …
This sustainable development proposal is anything but sustainable.’‚ÄîIlana Solomon, Sierra Club A leaked of draft of negotiating text from a pending EU-U.S. trade deal shows that the bloc is ready to empower corporate polluters while going back on its promise to uphold environmental protections, groups on both sides of the Atlantic warn. The text is …
LOCALS have raised concerns over the independent panel appointed to investigate how a planned burn at Lancefield went so disastrously wrong. Hundreds of people fled and four houses were lost when a planned burn jumped containment lines on Grand Final Day. The fire burned for nearly two weeks. Environment Minister Lisa Neville asked the director …
After the escaped burn around Lancefield during the week of 6 October burnt 3,000 hectares, destroyed 4 homes, dozens of sheds, fences and pasture, the Victorian Government has commissioned Mr Murray Carter to oversee an enquiry. Mr Carter was the Manager of the WA Department of Environment and Conservation’s Fire Management Services at the time …
The public has every reason to be sceptical of the outcome of the investigation the Victorian Government has commissioned into the escaped departmental burn during the week of 6 October 2015. There is huge public outrage over the burn that turned into a wildfire and destroyed over 4,000 hectares, 4 homes, dozens of sheds, fences …
