Our state and federal governments signed away our native forests exactly 19 years ago today (3rd Feb 1997). They were deemed exempt from commonwealth environmental laws. Ever since our forests have fed a massive overseas woodchip market. This immunity from the law will end next year and the Turnbull Government wants to roll over this …
A year to the day that the first Regional Forest Agreement is due to expire, the Greens are calling for a comprehensive reassessment of how we manage native forests in Australia. “Regional Forest Agreements were meant to bring the forestry industry into the new century, but right now the native forest logging industry is operating …
Victoria’s logging agency has halted the practice on the Errinundra Plateau in East Gippsland after the discovery of a colony of rare greater gliders. The Goongerah Environment Centre conducted a night time citizen survey on Monday and found 15 of the rare possums in two areas earmarked for logging. The greater glider has large furry …
Ross Scott, retired engineer with much waterways experience has been battling to draw attention to the declining condition of the Gippsland Lakes ecology for years, especially following the deeper dredging of the entrance in 2008. He has continued to run into a bureaucratically constructed defensive brick wall. Along with many credible scientists he now fears …
State logging company VicForests has agreed not to clearfell 10ha of mature forest in East Gippsland after community surveys identified an isolated population of the rare Greater Glider in forest where logging had started. “This is great news, but was only acted on after we were forced to engage lawyers. Our lawyers, Environmental Justice Australia, …
Leaked documents and The Age’s excellent exposé on the disastrous decisions by DELWP fire managers before Christmas, again highlights this culture of gung-ho-ness which is causing so many losses – personal, social and environmental. There was more fire-excitement, more bad decisions, more escaped government burns, more homes lost, more wildlife killed, more heartache and angst. …
The confidential state government files reveal that three days after a lightning strike on December 19 caused a small, half-hectare blaze to begin near Wye River, Victorian fire officials ordered a controlled burn operation which included the dropping of small fireballs from aircraft. The fact that the backburn operation and associated warnings have not been publicly detailed by …
Victoria’s national parks are increasingly struggling to cope with feral animals, weeds, fire threats and degraded infrastructure after deep budget cuts. Parks Victoria’s most recent annual report shows direct funding from the state government has collapsed by 37 per cent in nominal terms over the past three years, from $122 million in 2011-12 to $76.8 …
For the last 13 years, the nationally endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot has been proclaimed with great hype and expectation as a flagship species in the local biosphere region. They were still prevalent on the Mornington Peninsula and in the Frankston area including the Pines. Sadly, because of incompetence and to a degree of unwillingness by …
The state government owned logging company VicForests, is in the legal crosshairs of environmentalists yet again. Lawyers acting on behalf of Environment East Gippsland have this week formally requested an explanation as to why a rich habitat site suited for rare forest-dependant wildlife was not surveyed before logging commenced last week. “We believe this is …
