Will the Government restore once healthy forests?

Logged forests are not growing back Both government politicians and their funded logging monopoly VicForests, have for years claimed that forests grow back after being clearfelled. We wish it were true. Those that do struggle back become single aged, more uniform ‘tree farms’. They are no longer healthy biodiverse forests. The other 30-50% have become …

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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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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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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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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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