What a spectacle we had during the 2008 Gippsland by-election campaign. All candidates (except the Greens) were grovelling in front of the logging and coal industries. Michael O’Connor (CFMEU) huffed and puffed on radio for one 30 second news grab and the next day pollies were buckling at the knees pledging their loyal devotion to …
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 …
Out of the blue came an announcement at the end of June that three endangered species will gain some protection in Gippsland and the North East by 75,000 ha of reserves. Despite other enviro groups singing the government’s praises we were a little more careful (being hardened sceptics). When we looked into this we found …
They never give up. Our logging industry is now saying it needs to be a major player to help solve Australia’s climate change problems. They claim our forests – that they plan to keep cutting down – could absorb 20% of the planned 60% target to cut emissions by 2050. How so? A confidential document …
Tuesday night’s Budget was a slap in the face for all those Australians who voted for the Labor Party at the last election in the belief that a new government would be willing and able to make Australia a true global climate leader. From the day he took leadership of the Labor Party, Kevin Rudd …
We would love to have a reason to praise our governments occasionally. But while the corporate pillagers pull their strings, it won’t happen. The first Rudd/Swan Budget of 2008 didn’t go anywhere to meet the urgent challenge of climate change. Rudd is spending $44 on defence for every $1 spent to tackle climate change. He’s …
State government projects to secure the basic stuff of life – water – include an estimated $3.1 billion Wonthaggi Desalination Project, a $1 billion Food Bowl Modernisation program and the $625 million north-south pipeline, which will take water from the Eildon Reservoir to Melbourne (plus the recent Federal plans to have a plan). As we …
You might have seen the government telling us they protected 20,000 ha of South Gippsland’s long-suffering forests. There are only tiny remnants left of this once vast expanse of tall wet forest that supported the tallest trees on earth. Conservationists down that way mapped out what they call the Cores and Links in 2001 – …
By May 2004, the Victorian Government had funded the clearfelling of forests burnt in the 2003 fires to the tune of $6.9 million. Another $4 million was given to help the woodchip industry continue its access the following year. Then in 2007 we taxpayers gave at least $868,000 to help the industry clearfell the 2006 …
The Brumby government is playing the walnut and pea trick with our reserves. After protection was offered to some areas of old growth in the lead up to the ’06 state elections, our government might now be offering other reserves as a trade off for their protection. We wrote to the Environment Minister Jennings, asking …
