Protester laws toughened by Napthine

In November Premier Napthine brought in new changes to existing laws that deal with protesters in forests and on our wetlands. These were couched in terms of ‘public safety’ rather than environmental atrocities protection. The changes include: ‘possessing prohibited objects or substances’ at a logging site – maximum penalty $2,877 (knitting needles or placards maybe?). …

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Environment: Call to improve state’s health

Victoria should overhaul its energy supply and change its approach to planned burns as part of efforts to stop worrying declines in the state’s environmental health. A major stocktake of Victoria’s environment prepared for the state government – the first of its kind in five years – has detailed significant worsening trends in critical areas. …

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Alpine cattle grazing – it’s a park, not a paddock

The mountain cattlemen are launching yet another attempt to get cattle back into the Alpine National Park. The decision by the previous Federal Government to ban alpine grazing was a victory for common sense and good science. There is more than 60 years of science that shows cattle damage alpine wetlands and peatbeds, and threaten …

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Animals going extinct while millions in funding go squandered

Animals are going extinct and millions of dollars in Australian endangered species funding are being squandered because of poor planning and monitoring, leading environmental scientists say. If data on the welfare of an endangered species is collected, it is rarely analysed or acted on, said David Lindenmayer, one of the authors of an article in …

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Coastal environments copping it

Two of East Gippslands most beautiful coastal areas are set to suffer serious assault this week. As Mallacoota’s most beautiful beach starts to be encased under an industrial concrete boat launch and car park, Lakes Entrance is also, once again, to be dug out to a depth that is killing the ecosystem of this Ramsar …

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The Napthine Government’s user-pays system for public lands

Charging to enjoy our National Parks, they say is fairer for taxpayers and more ‘sustainable’.The logging industry however, is subsidised by taxpayers to the tune of about $60 million, yearly grazing agistment to beef farmers in the Alpine Park worth $1.4 million was offered for free (and fought for in the high court), but people …

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Influences of the Victorian fires of February 2009

This Report analyses the driving influences of the February 7 fires and looks at how the fires passed through and affected different areas of land including plantations, regrowth from logging and National Parks. The summary of the implications of the report is below and you can Download the full report here (PDF 6.2MB) This report …

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Threatened species plans – free from public comment

The government has suddenly got its skates on and seems to be writing protection plans for threatened wildlife. EEG launched legal action against the Department for its failure to do this in early June. Suddenly the Supreme Court is looming and EEG and a few select groups have a generous 10 days to comment on …

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