East Gippsland deserves more than broken promises — it deserves lasting protections.
In 2019, Victorians were promised the largest expansion of protected areas in our state’s history. Six years later, those commitments remain unfinished. Forests like Errinundra and Kuark — a stronghold for cool temperate rainforests, ancient giants, unique flora and endangered wildlife — are still waiting for the protection they need.
Ministerial Priorities
Until recently, Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos had given little time to his environment portfolio, meeting far more often with industry and tourism groups than with conservation organisations. But in the last few weeks, he sat down with statewide environment groups. Even if he still hasn’t met with GECO, that’s a welcome step, and an opening for change.
Now it’s up to all of us to make sure the Minister hears why places like Errinundra must be protected.
The data shown in this graph shows the percentage of Minister Dimopoulos meetings since he took office until June, 2025.
By moving quickly to legislate the IPAs into the reserve system, Dimopoulos could take the first major step toward delivering Labor’s promise of the largest expansion of protected areas in Victoria’s history
One of the clearest priorities on his desk is unfinished business from 2019: formalising the Immediate Protection Areas (IPAs). These forests were identified by the government as some of the most important for conservation and tourism — yet they remain in limbo. By moving quickly to legislate the IPAs into the reserve system, Dimopoulos could take the first major step toward delivering Labor’s promise of the largest expansion of protected areas in Victoria’s history, while also fulfilling as Tourism minister by increasing investment in nature-based tourism in East Gippsland via the Sea to Summit study recommendations.
Originally proposed by GECO and The Wilderness Society through Emerald Link, and funded by the Andrews Government in 2018, the feasibility study showed that while the full 10–12 day trek had low viability due to logging and fire impacts, shorter 4–5 day or hub-based experiences combining walking, cycling/4WD, cultural and food tourism offered far greater visitor appeal and economic return. Taking the next step on this vision would showcase East Gippsland’s globally unique continuum of ecosystems — from sea-level heathlands and rainforests to alpine forests — while generating local jobs and diversifying the regional economy.
With D’Ambrosio and Daniel Andrews gone, the Allan Government has stalled on turning these pledges into real outcomes. That delay has left forests like Errinundra exposed, species vulnerable to mismanagement, and regional communities without certainty about their future.
Promises only matter when they’re kept. Right now, Victoria’s biggest conservation commitment is still sitting on the shelf.
Conflicts and Controversies
The government’s Forestry Transition Program has already cost $1.3 billion taxpayer dollars. Yet forests remain exposed to a return to clearfell logging, restoration is underfunded, and community priorities like nature-based tourism projects are sidelined.
Instead of investing in solutions that deliver jobs and ecological recovery, much of the program has drifted without oversight. That failure risks leaving a door open for a Coalition government to push Victoria backwards even more.
The Minister can change that — by legislating a logging ban to close loopholes, and by completing the Errinundra National Park to ensure the most important habitats are adequately protected.
Mounting Threats
The threats to Victoria’s forests are stacking up, and they’re being enabled by government inaction:
- Planned burns on a massive scale: FFMV is preparing combined burns covering 60,000 hectares in the Snowy — just a few years after bushfires devastated the region. Fire scientists like Zylstra and Lindenmayer warn this approach could actually make fire risk worse.
- Logging by another name: Nationals MP Melina Bath is championing a return to logging, this time calling it ‘thinning’ and ‘forest gardening’ — a yet another rebrand of industrial logging designed to sneak it back in under a softer label. This is what the Coalition will introduce if we can’t protect forests this term.
- Guns in our national parks: Dimopoulos has caved to the shooting lobby, opening Errinundra and Snowy River National Parks to recreational deer hunting. Instead of tackling deer with science-based control, he’s handed influence to gun groups and ignored community voices.
- Rollback on the horizon: Weak policies and token gestures set such a low bar that a future Coalition government could dismantle protections entirely with little effort.
If Minister Dimopoulos doesn’t act boldly now, these threats will only escalate.
We are Taking Action by Building Partnerships
While the government stalls, communities and First Nations leaders are doing the heavy lifting.
Emerald Link, a GECO and Wilderness Society’s partnership, is driving real work in East Gippsland — building partnerships with Gunaikurnai elder Marjorie Thorpe and Bidwell representatives, engaging in conversations for restoration projects with Australian National University, and advocating for sensible nature-based tourism initiatives backed by community-led initiatives like the Sea to Summit.
This is what real transition looks like: projects that strengthen regional economies, create meaningful jobs, and protect the forests that make East Gippsland unique.
The Minister has an opportunity to support and scale these efforts, ensuring his portfolio leaves a legacy, not just a gap.
How You Can Help
It seems Minister Dimopoulos has finally started listening. Now we need to make sure he acts, and he's a big fan of his instagram, so let's get into his DM's.
👉 If you’re on Instagram, give him a follow (he’ll love that) — but more importantly, whenever he posts, drop a comment to remind him what really matters. Here are a few suggestions to get you started, but feel free to get creative:
- “Minister Dimopoulos, the best post you could make is one announcing permanent protections for our forests. When will you?”
- “Minister, your portfolio isn’t Instagram, it’s Victoria’s environment. Start acting like it. Will you legislate a logging ban?”
- “Minister, Victoria needs an Environment Minister who will legislate a logging ban and protect Errinundra’s forests forever.”
- “Steve, your legacy won’t be selfies. It will be whether Errinundra’s forests are still standing. Complete the National Park.”
- “Minister Dimopoulos, endangered species can’t DM you — so we will. Meet with regional voices like Bidwell & GECO and protect East Gippsland’s forests.”
👉 Email him your favourite photo of Errinundra. One of the most powerful things you can do is send him a short email in your own words, and include your favourite photo of Errinundra. A personal message and an image of what’s at stake will help bring home just how important these forests are.
His email address: [email protected]
Here're a range of points you can raise in the email:
- Legislate a full logging ban to close the loopholes for good
- Formalise the Immediate Protection Areas (IPAs) so they’re permanently safeguarded
- Complete Errinundra National Park with new protections for critical habitat
- Back communities and restoration by investing in Emerald Link and other nature-based tourism and recovery projects
If the Minister won’t meet us in the forest, then we’ll meet him in his DMs.
And when you’ve sent your email or dropped a comment, flick it through to us as well at [email protected]. We’d love to see what you’ve said, share it with the crew, and show the Minister just how many voices are speaking up for Errinundra and East Gippsland forests.