Healesville based environment group, MyEnvironment has identified a legal clash between the EPBC Act and the RFA Act. They believe our protected state faunal emblem, the Leadbeaters Possum, is having its habitat cleared against the state/federal agreement (RFA). They are using evidence that was raised during their court case to ask Tony Burke’s environment department …
“The number of threatened species has nearly tripled in the last twenty years” Our national environment laws have never been particularly strong. While the Business Council of Australia has protested that these laws are too onerous, the big picture tells a far different story. The five-yearly State of the Environment Report clearly shows that we …
The Nippon owned pulp and paper plant at Maryvale, Australian Paper, recently announced (10th October) a new recycled paper plant to be built on their LaTrobe Valley site. However it’s been silent about getting out of native forests as a result. Production is expected to start in early 2014, so it won’t be in time …
Under pressure from big business and the mining industry, federal and state governments have recently announced a hard line plan to wind back environmental protection laws. In the guise of cutting ‘green tape’ government and industry propose to hand important federal approval powers to the states and fast track approvals for large developments. If this …
The VicForests Annual Report was tabled in Parliament this week (13/9/12). They made another loss. And this year, VicForests is dressing up the loss with a new excuse. The argument that the bushfires are to blame for their past losses has worn thin so they are now blaming us. Fancy – little enviro groups having …
Public Safety’ Zones and are basically a legal force-field inside which anyone can be arrested for carrying out an activity – like bushwalking or camping – or witnessing logging. They cover large areas of public land that belong to you and I. These huge rectangular zones are arbitrarily plonked on the map where logging is …
In order to maintain its standing with certain beef farmers over the Alpine National Parks grazing issue, the Baillieu government took its legal challenge to the Federal Court in early August – at great cost to you and I. Victoria’s current conservative coalition wants to overturn a decision by federal Environment Minister Tony Burke that …
AFTER a 17-month battle with the Baillieu government, the environment movement has received a key document that underpinned the controversial decision to return cattle to the Alpine National Park. But the document, it turns out, is rather curious. The released academic paper – one of two scientific reviews the government relied on to conclude that …
A controversial mine site is seeking government approval from the Baillieu government to reopen at Benambra, north of Swifts Creek in East Gippsland. The original Benambra mine was operated by Denehurst – and now the connections appear – in which our Premier, Ted Baillieu was a shareholder. Click here for the news story. The main …
THE Baillieu government will argue the Commonwealth acted outside its jurisdiction when it blocked a controversial cattle grazing trial in the Alpine National Park in a long-awaited court challenge. The state government is seeking to overturn a decision by federal Environment Minister Tony Burke that the trial is ”clearly unacceptable” under national environment laws due …
