Conservationists have halted logging in the Kuark forest in far East Gippsland this morning.  A person is positioned on a tree platform 30m above the ground. Ropes from the platform are attached to machinery, preventing logging from continuing.

The contentious logging coupe contains high quality habitat for threatened species. State owned logging company VicForests has not conducted a pre-logging threatened species survey, as required by law.

Citizen science surveys conducted by GECO have recorded two listed endangered species in the area. An endangered Long-footed potoroo was recorded on a remote fauna camera two weeks ago and last week a population of critically endangered East Gippsland Galaxias fish were photographed in streams bordering the logging coupe.

Images: Protesters in the forest this morning. 

Fantastic news! After just one day of direct action by GECO and a letter from lawyers representing Environment East Gippsland, VicForests agreed to stop their illegal logging operation and the logging machinery has left the forest! It was an amazing result and successfully prevented the destruction of high conservation value forest home to threatened species. Most of the forest remains intact and safe from VicForests lawless logging regime.

Unfortunately 8 brave people who took direct action to stop the logging were fined $500 each. We've started a fundraising campaign to support them to pay their fines quickly so they can get on with doing more great work defending our environment. Go here to support them.

The forest was illegally logged because VicForests had failed to conduct surveys for threatened species prior to logging. VicForests are legally obligated to survey for threatened species to ensure measures can be put in place to habitat. VicForests choose not to survey for threatened species in some areas, because they know that if they find them, the area they can log will be reduced in size due to protective measures that the law requires to be implemented to protect habitat.

GECO took direct action on Tuesday morning to halt the logging and the logging operation had ended by Tuesday night. The machines were rolling out of the coupe today!

 Image: Bulldozer getting trucked out of VicForets illegal logging coupe

Conservationists from Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO) have halted logging operations in high conservation value forest on the St Patrick’s River in East Gippsland today due to multiple breaches of the law.

A person is positioned in a tree platform 30m off the ground. The platform is tied off to logging machinery which is preventing logging operations from continuing.

GECO believes the logging is illegal.  VicForests has failed to carry out necessary pre logging surveys for threatened wildlife, which it is legally obligated to do. Logging has also illegally impacted upon a large stand of protected rainforest.