Latest News

March 25, 2019

First published in The Guardian by Lisa Cox Victoria’s environment department has been so ineffective at regulating logging in state forests that the government-owned forestry enterprise VicForests has effectively been left to self-regulate, according to an independent review. The report, quietly released on the...

March 18, 2019

Most trees currently being logged along the route of the proposed Sea to Summit hiking trail are being wood chipped and exported.  Planning documents produced by government logging agency VicForests reveal 88% of logs from the 'Smoko' coupe are pulp grade.   In February concerns were raised over...

February 18, 2019

This morning, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) will defend the Government’s continued logging of old growth forests in the face of vehement community opposition, as the trial Fauna and Flora Research Collective Inc  v The Secretary to DELWP and VicForests...

February 14, 2019

First published in The Age - February 13th 2019 Remote Victorian forest the Andrews government promised just days before the state election would become home to a future “world-class hiking trail” is already being cleared for timber, with the state's forestry corporation insisting it...

February 08, 2019

Rare and threatened Greater Gliders have been found by community surveys at Granite Mountain on the Errinundra plateau this week. The old growth forest has been at the centre of controversy since logging begun in late January. Over 4000 people have emailed Premier Daniel...

January 29, 2019

    East Gippsland's old growth forests are being destroyed by logging.  Please support the protection of East Gippsland's forests and wildlife. Email Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews now. We need to pile on the pressure and make the government act.

December 20, 2018

A Supreme Court case has offered a glimmer of hope for East Gippsland's old growth forests as 2018 draws to a close. Our friends Fauna and Flora Research Collective (FFRC) are suing the state government for failing to meet their legal obligations to protect...

November 30, 2018

Goongerah Environment Centre welcomes the re-appointment of Lily D’Ambrosio as Minister for Environment in the Andrews government cabinet. The government must do more to protect Victoria’s forests and we believe the Minister recognises this. We look forward to working constructively with Minister D’Ambrosio to...

November 23, 2018

The Victorian Government’s daft “fuzzy map” excuse for VicForests logging outside its allocated forest area could mean that all VicForests’ logging in the past five years may be unlawful. The Andrews Labor Government told the ABC, which broke the story of the illegal logging,[i] that...

November 21, 2018

Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO) and Friends of the Earth are today calling on the next Victorian government to abolish state owned logging agency VicForests and formally protect Victoria’s forests from logging after a special investigation by ABC news has revealed hundreds of areas of...

November 16, 2018

Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO) and the Wilderness Society today expressed serious concerns about continued logging of old and rare forests in East Gippsland, as the Andrews government announced that if re-elected, they will commence planning for a multi-day Sea to Summit hiking trail route...

November 02, 2018

The vast majority of Victorians want state forests protected, not logged and woodchipped, and Victorians want workers supported while leaving the industry, according to polling in three key marginal seats three weeks out from the Victorian state election. 

October 09, 2018

Victorian environment groups are renewing calls for the creation of new parks and reserves to protect native forests from logging after the release of an audit report revealing state owned logging agency VicForests has failed to achieve the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificate.

October 08, 2018

VicForests has failed to achieve the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) green tick. The final audit report by SCS Global has been released citing numerous major non conformances to the FSC standards. Logging and burning of old growth forest and threatened and protected species habitat,...

September 27, 2018

Goongerah Environment Centre and Friends of the Earth have welcomed the announcement of an independent inquiry into the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning’s (DELWP) regulation of logging in Victoria.  Friends of the Earth and GECO spokesperson Ed Hill said: “Under DELWP’s approach...