Burning forests for power – back on agenda If Mr Bracks wants to increase drought and weather extremes in the state, he’s doing a great job, but they’ll need an army of spin doctors to sell this latest one to the public. The Bracks government is again planning to generate power by burning Victoria’s native …
The debate over logging water catchments has been won hands down by environmental arguments, but Minister Thwaites refuses to accept the science. Below are his bizarre arguments and the responses from Sarah Rees from the Central Highlands Alliance, who’s been tracking this issue for years. John Thwaites – Only 0.02% of Melbourne’s catchments are logged …
Drought and irrigation needs have almost tipped our fragile river red gum wetlands over the edge. As if that weren’t enough, Mr Bracks now plans to have more than 100,000 red gums cut down for Victorian railway sleepers. The Murray River has no replacement for its red gum forests. The Mildura railway line does; it …
When he was leader of the opposition in 1995, Mr Brumby made this statement in Parliament: “In my remaining 16 minutes I will make a case for why we need an independent commissioner for the environment to ensure that governments honour policy commitments that they have made with other governments. There is no better example …
At the time of going to print, there are FIVE CREWS working on a GOVT SANCTIONED 70 mts x 256 kms CLEARING that cuts across the Thomson catchment. The DSE claimed it learnt from the squandering of the Yalmy Road and the Snowy National Park in the 2003 fires. Now we understand how! The Minister …
We can expect the logging fraternity and their friends in government to frantically paint themselves as having a major role to play in combating climate change. Joe Helper, the Victorian Minister for Agriculture, said new carbon trading markets and the consequent value given to carbon soaks could be big business for our logging companies. In …
Before the election the Bracks government made a quiet little offering to get rid of the niggling pressure they were under regarding their long time promise to protect the Gippsland Strzelecki forests. Their offer was a compromise to protect the important central sites and its connecting links (called ‘cores and links’) but if you read …
Two hundred years ago the Sooty owl was abundant and fed on about 18 species of ground prey in Gippsland. Today they have only two or three to chose from. Other species are under similar pressure. Many of our native animals have become sparser in numbers and their range has shrunk. Some, like the Southern …
When Labor announced it would protect all ‘significant stands’ of old growth, they must have been using their special parliamentary dictionary. In Eastern Victoria, Mr Bracks protected only 5% of areas identified as critical to extinction-proof native species and protect domestic water catchments. The Forest Alliance had carefully mapped and scientifically validated these areas. Wins …
Despite a promise to protect old growth forests that link the Errinundra and Snowy parks, logging crews were clearfelling 30ha of giant trees in a protected area that Premier Bracks had promised would get “immediate protection”. Environment Minister John Thwaites was not willing to comment on the issue at first but later said that any …
