Queensland was the only state that managed to do away with their clearfelling of native forests as a result of the RFA. It also has no woodchip industry, but Campbell Newman now wants both by the looks. The Queensland govt gave the go ahead in February to log almost 2 million hectares of forest and …
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 …
Currently, logging in RFA regions is exempt from Commonwealth environment laws (EPBC) because the RFAs are assumed to protect the environment – simply because RFAs claim they do. There was an interesting little report from a bunch of Federal senators in late April who were looking into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). …
A landmark Federal Court decision last December prevented logging in Tasmania’s Wielangta forests. Because the ruling questioned the ability of a Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) to protect threatened species, it also questions the legality of East Gippsland’s logging. Attempts by the Commonwealth to hand over responsibility for protecting three federally listed species to the State …
The Tambo or Gippsland forests, north of Bairnsdale, first suffered a 700% increase in woodchipping after its RFA was signed in 2000. On top of that, they were burnt in the 2003 fires and have been “salvage” logged at eight times the legally sustainable yield level since then. Salvaged to death Since they lie in …
The East Gippsland RFA had its eighth anniversary on the 3rd February. We were told all that time ago that it was to protect the forests, but conservation promises have never been honoured while woodchipping volumes have more than doubled. The five yearly review has not happened. It is now totally obsolete and should be …
Whistle blower exposes corruption in Tasmania A greying Tasmanian forester of 32 years experience has spilt the beans on broad-scale illegal destruction of the state’s public forests. He claims corruption and collusion by and between the logging industry and Tasmanian Government has been rampant since the signing of the RFA five years ago. Bill Manning …
The Regional Forest Agreement promised the MAXIMUM amount of logs that could be taken from public forest, while providing the MINIMUM area to meet conservation criteria. No allowance was made for fire. There was no margin of error for events outside the control of governments. If fires destroy even part of the reserve system or …
Up until March 14th, the RFAs were merely an agreement, not legally binding documents. Labor and Liberals worked like best mates to railroad this legislation through in an early morning Canberra sitting. Its passage was met by a huge cheer from both parties. It successfully allows the Feds to wash their hands of any responsibility …
Will you still love me tomorrow? In the morning after the $300M Regional Forest Agreements party, Australia’s woodchippers answer with a resounding “no”. Never a generous suitor, the woodchipping industry has now all but deserted Australia’s political parties. The Forest Products Association (FPA) has even dumped Fred Nile! With twenty years of woodchipping safely in …
