We’ll spare you the suspense. They aren't.
Because the vested interests and misinformed ideology of the old forestry bureaucracy have not gone away, our forests are still not safe from threats. We have seen this recently with the killing of an endangered Greater Glider by Forest Fire Management Victoria in the Yarra Ranges National Park. And we know that, come 2026, if the Coalition gets back in power, they've resolved to reinstate native forest logging. Without permanent legislative protection, our forests will always be at risk.
This is why we need to make sure our most precious forests are safe from logging forever.
Currently the Labor State Government is not even considering protecting an inch of forest. Straight from the mouth of your Environment Minister:
Next steps toward permanent protection
Last year, the Victorian Government established the Great Outdoors Taskforce to determine the future of the 1.8 million hectares of state forest previously managed for logging. But they have no intention of considering the creation of new national parks.
It’s now time for you to have your say.
The Great Outdoors Taskforce has opened an online survey and a map tool
As you will notice, the survey is flawed. It assumes logging is no longer a threat and offers little opportunity to ask for extending national parks, but there are still options to make our voices heard. We only have a few weeks. So let's make it count. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and it can make a big difference to our forests and wildlife.
Take the map survey here
Once the map survey is completed, you can fill out the form survey here. You can find our suggestions below. It is important that we let them know that we need our forests permanently protected from logging and other destructive practices:
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Section 3. Improving Recreation Experiences |
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Section 4. Protecting Wildlife and Plants |
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Section 6. Forest Uses That Support Conservation |
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Section 7. Economic Opportunities |
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Section 8. Collaboration in Forest Management |
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The survey also provides opportunities to highlight and provide insight into personal experiences and special places. Now’s your chance to let the Great Outdoors Taskforce know about your favourite forest spots, like Isaac's:
My special place
If I need to boil it down to one spot, it would be the tree pictured at the top. This was the tree that started it all for me. Not only because I spent 10 days suspended on it to prevent it from being chopped down, or because it sparked the last forest blockade in Errinundra in 2021, but because it signified one of my proudest moments as I put my heart and conviction into stopping the senseless destruction of our forests. Despite not knowing what that act was going to lead to, I knew that's where I was supposed to be.
It would take another five months and hundreds of people putting our will and determination together to save this refuge from being clear felled, one of the few forests in East Gippsland that didn’t burn in the devastating fires just a few months earlier.
To be frank, it took decades of staunch forest defenders to stop the destruction, including the centuries-long struggle of Bidwell mob like elder Uncle Clayton Harrison. But they did it. We did it. You did it. Together, we managed to kick the machines from the area until now.
Errinundra holds a very special place in my heart. Once I first set foot on the plateau, on a 'very Errinundra misty day' in 2017, I fell in love with it. And from that love comes the responsibility to do everything I can to try to give them the best chance of survival. This is why I’m asking you to help the forests by telling the government what your special place in the forest is, and the reasons why it should be permanently protected.
Bidwell Voice
Uncle Clayton Harrison from the Bidwell mob in East Gippsland says he is “tired of fighting the logging”. He wants to know “why are they starting logging again?”. He talks of the importance of trees for fresh water, and how logging kills the fish, and dries up the water.
Uncle Clayton spent more than 14 years alongside environmentalists on the frontline, blockading and campaigning to protect his country. For him it all started in Eden and now he wants it to end and wants his country to be protected from logging. He says “we are a peaceful people, our people”. It is time this country listened to its First Nations people and the Government demonstrated genuine intent towards self determination, particularly as treaty negotiations have commenced. GECO supports and seeks to promote the voices of the First Nations people whose country we work to protect.
What can you do: tell the minister what's your special place in the forest"
These forests need you now more than ever. Now is our chance to push for legislative protection. Let’s make sure they are given the permanent protection they deserve so that logging can never return, and so that the voices of Traditional Owners, including Uncle Clayton's, are heard and respected.
Head to the Engage Victoria website, fill out the survey, and mark your favourite forests on the map. Together, we can ensure a future where our forests are valued for their beauty, their biodiversity, and their importance to the health of our planet and communities.