Here’s a quick summary of the Brown Mountain saga so far: This controversial area of National Estate forest has been in the limelight since 1989. Small but viable stands of ancient forest remain after years of butchery. A 20 ha stand of old growth was clearfelled on Brown Mountain over summer 08-09. VicForests lied …
In April 2008, Peter Campbell from EEG attended a ‘Stakeholder Reference Group’ meeting, as part of the government’s “Wood and Water Sustainability Assessment Project”. It was as we expected – a poorly devised process to maintain the status quo. The group is to look at options to address water loss due to logging in catchments. …
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 …
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 …
After the state government was caught out during and after the ’06 fires, thumbing its nose at its own planning regulations let alone Federal laws, these careless cowboys have now changed the laws to allow them to continue! Over 200 km of these lineal logging coupes were bulldozed through the heart of many intact and …
Thanks to all our supporters who emailed and phoned the State opposition members and the Attorney General. The Brumby Government’s plans to make the Freedom of Information laws ineffective by overhauling the Act, were voted out! The Liberals, Nationals and Greens used their numbers to vote against the controversial bill (the DLP voted with the …
