The Great Outdoors Taskforce could have been the moment Victoria moved from talk to transformation, but instead, we’ve been handed another consultation that tinkers at the edges.
A report capped before it began
The Great Outdoors Taskforce Report, released on October 21st, could’ve been a landmark step toward lasting forest protection — a chance to create a new era of biodiversity recovery and care for Country that would safeguard our forests for generations to come.
And while there are some positive steps — like recognising the need for better on-ground management, local involvement and First Nations Stewardship — the process was capped before it even began. The Taskforce’s Terms of Reference were quietly amended early on to explicitly rule out any new national parks, effectively pre-determining its own outcome and limiting what it could recommend.
So while the report gestures toward reform, the government’s response barely rises to the moment. Instead of protecting forests from future policy reversals and committing serious investment in restoration, it offers half-measures that avoid the structural change Victoria’s forests urgently need. It’s another missed opportunity for the Environment Minister to show leadership and back the community’s clear aspirations for genuine, long-term forest protection.
“Locking the bush”? The numbers (and Victorians) say otherwise
Despite all the talk about keeping forests “open,” the locking-up-the-bush argument doesn’t hold up. Official visitation figures show that nine times more people visit Victoria’s national parks than its state forests — because people know National Parks contain the most special places in the State.
Graphic and figures from the Great Outdoors Taskforce Report. Visitation to National Parks, in comparison, was 90.9 million in 2022-2023 (Parks Victoria Annual Report, 2023-2024)
Protecting biodiversity doesn’t exclude anyone. It ensures forests stay alive, accessible, and resilient for generations to come. That is, if you are committed to investing in conservation.
What’s even more concerning is how both the Great Outdoors Taskforce and the government’s response ignore the findings of the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) — the state’s independent scientific body tasked with assessing land use and conservation priorities. VEAC’s Eastern Victoria Forests Assessment identified vast areas of high conservation value that deserve permanent protection, findings that align closely with GECO’s and other Victorian environmental groups’ recommendations to the Taskforce.
Figure from VEAC's 'Assessment of the Values of state forests in easter Victoria'. Despite being tasked to inform the Great Outdoors Taskforce, VEAC’s assessment findings are barely acknowledged
And yet, VEAC has been sidelined, and reportedly gutted, just as its science becomes most relevant. In this government, it seems the gun lobby exerts more influence than scientists or the Victorian public — who have repeatedly shown their preference for national parks over state forests as the best way to guarantee access, recreation, and biodiversity protection.
Small funding, big gap
The government’s response includes $30 million for new forest management and infrastructure — just 2 percent of the $1.5 billion Forestry Transition Program, a program rolled out with little consultation or transparency. For comparison, the Allan government just announced $43 million on a marketing campaign to attract overseas visitors.
That’s a small slice of a massive budget to deliver what’s supposed to be the future of our forests. Meanwhile, the Taskforce’s own consultation found consistently that biodiversity and conservation were the top priorities for respondents.
GoT Report: snippet of map survey consultation top priority values by area.
And yet, there’s still no legislated ban on native forest logging, despite it being one of the report’s key recommendations (number 5) — and a long-standing demand from environmental groups, supported overwhelmingly by the Victorian public.
So while the Minister is adamant he’s listening now, we are yet to see this positive and hopeful attitude translate into action.
We’re keen to see how active stakeholder involvement in managing forest values might work in practice. The promise of community input into forest management in places like Orbost and Noojee needs to look beyond the over-burning and clearing currently being rolled out by Forest Fire Management Victoria, and move toward creating local jobs caring for forests for all their values and the critical habitat they provide.
Still, it’s disappointing to see that Traditional Owners, including the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation’s Forest Management Program in the Tambo catchment outlined in the Great Outdoors Taskforce report, has not been supported by the government with dedicated investment. For a state that claims to lead on Treaty and self-determination, this is a setback, even as similar programs move ahead in other parts of Victoria.
A future still worth fighting for
The Great Outdoors Taskforce sets out noble aspirations — collaborative management, caring for Country, and healthy forests for all Victorians. It’s now time for those goals to be actualised through real action, funding, and political courage.
Legislative protection of forests is essential if the government is to fulfil its promises and demonstrate a genuine commitment to implementing the will of Victorians.
GECO will keep pushing for clarity and accountability — to prevent policy backflips and to secure serious investment in restoration, biodiversity recovery, and reversing forest decline across East Gippsland.
Through GECO and the Emerald Link, we’ll continue working alongside Traditional Owners, local communities, and scientists to make sure this transition becomes more than a rebrand — and that Victoria’s forests are truly protected, restored, and thriving for generations to come.
Decades of destructive clearfell logging and climate-change fuelled bushfires will require serious investment in restoration efforts.
If you care about Victoria’s forests, now’s the time to back the people keeping watch.
Donate to GECO and help us keep us on the ground.