VicForests needs to ”significantly” improve its care of the state’s forests if it wants international accreditation of its timber products, according to an unflattering audit. VicForests, a Victorian government-owned business, is seeking certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), based in Germany, to demonstrate that its harvesting of the state’s timber is sustainable, ethical, and …
VicForests, as we all know, is ruthless in its logging management and in its pursuit of access to our forests. Despite its markets shrinking and despite its customers demanding a sustainable certification tick, VicForests is pushing ahead. It is pursuing an eco-label for its wood and has been a controversial member of the international Forest …
Released in December 2013, the report into VicForests operations (the government’s logging monopoly), condemns its lack of protection of environmental values but excuses the drain it puts on the state’s finances. There’s no market for woodchips so trees are incinerated where they are felled. So why are they cut down? Among many other shocking findings, …
VicForests is currently trying to go for the more credible FSC ‘eco-certification’ for it’s logging; not a snowball’s hope in hell many think. But VF is inviting comments and the independent auditors are wanting to consult with enviro-groups. Please don’t participate just yet! Enviro groups are forming a united front so the old trick of …
Another small community group, Healesville Environment Watch commissioned an economic assessment of VicForests economic performance, since its beginnings in 2004-5. VicForests has racked up a loss of $22 million since it was formed – that means it costs us $1.50 for every cubic metre of wood it has logged. VicForests self-righteously argues a net profit …
Another creatively written Annual Report for VicForests (2012-13) was presented to parliament in mid-October and it verges more towards fantasy than a serious commercial look at their performance. Steve Meacher from Healesville Environment Watch has done an analysis of the report and also compared it with their stated Corporate Plan in 2011, with the actual …
VicForests has racked up a loss of $22 million since it was formed – that means it costs us $1.50 for every cubic metre of wood it has logged. VicForests righteously claims a net profit of $11.6 million over eight years. But it has also received gifts of $24.75 million – a net cost to …
Isn’t it reassuring to know our forests are bulldozed, chainsawed and burnt in a 100% natural way – no artificial colours or flavours. *image above from VicForests media release – (5/3/13) We wonder what their “100% natural” napalm is made of, polystyrene and benzine or naphthenic acid and palmitic acid? VicForests is a …
The recently released report from the Auditor General on the State’s finances again raises questions about why VicForests was not required to pay a dividend again this year. The report shows how the State Government demanded most Government businesses like Melbourne Water and other water authorities were all squeezed for additional dividend payments to help …
In March 2011, VicForests was crowing about its new giant tree protection policy (read our 2011 article here). VicForests said their new policy on giant trees will also “see every effort made to protect trees which are greater than 3m in diameter”. That’s 9.4 mts circumference. Protesters at Mt Jersey’s old growth forests currently being …
