Latest News

Pressure on Labor to protect forests as flying possum glides towards extinction

July 01, 2019

More than 600 hectares of known Greater Glider habitat has been logged since the animal was listed as vulnerable to extinction under Victorian law and thousands of hectares are planned to be logged, research by environment groups has found.

Andrews government logging plan to accelerate extinction and old growth forest destruction

April 25, 2019

The Andrews Labor government’s release of a new logging plan will hasten the decline of Australia’s largest gliding marsupial the Greater Glider, says Goongerah Environment Centre Office (GECO). In June 2017 the Greater Glider was listed as vulnerable to extinction under the Victorian...

Rainforest illegally logged at Tonghi creek

March 27, 2019

Protected rainforest and rainforest buffers have been illegally logged by VicForests near Tonghi Creek in far East Gippsland. Logging by VicForests in coupe 868-506-0009 "Granton Road" has impacted on rainforest in numerous locations a several hectares of forest that should have been protected in...

Response to independent review of logging regulation GECO / TWS / FoE

March 25, 2019

The Wilderness Society and Goongerah Environment Centre and Friends of the Earth Independent Review of Timber Harvesting Regulation joint response

Damning logging report finds Victorian department neither 'effective nor respected'

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...

9 out of 10 trees woodchipped on Labor's proposed hiking trail

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...

Government fights to continue old growth logging as Supreme Court trial continues

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...

Labor's 'sea to summit' hike trail being clearfelled before it's built

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...

Greater Glider find exposes failed government survey program

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...

Old growth forest is being logged - take action!

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.

Victorian government says old growth logging should stop

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...

Next steps for Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio

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...

Victorian Govt’s daft ‘fuzzy map’ excuse could mean all logging illegal

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...

Calls for VicForests to be abolished after forest theft exposed

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...

Forests Around Planned Sea To Summit Hiking Trail Must Be Protected

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...