Email the Minister, her Department has failed to protect forests and wildlife
The Department has failed to put in the proper protections for a Large Brown Tree Frog detection on Mt Jersey. We're sick of the Department failing to regulate the rogue loggers, they need to charge VicForests and start acting to protect forests and wildlife, not look after the interests of the logging industry.
Take action now, email Minister D'Ambrosio to push her Department to take action
Gov’t survey shows public support forest protection, not logging
Results of a public survey conducted by the Victorian government show overwhelming support for protecting native forests from logging and provide the Andrews Labor government with a strong platform to protect forests and transition jobs out of the native forest logging sector, say environment groups.
- Survey shows Victorian public say future of industry is in plantations
- Victorians support protecting forests and improved forest recreation opportunities
- Results show no need to continue with failed Regional Forest Agreements
Report shows damning destruction of Greater Glider habitat
Our latest report has been published documenting logging of more than 600 hectares of Greater Glider habitat since the species was listed as vulnerable under Victorian legislation in June 2017.
Gliding towards extinction - an investigation into Greater Glider habitat logged since the species was listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act highlights how government inaction and failing environmental laws are having dire consequences for forest dependent threatened species in Victoria.
Read moreCalls for VicForests to be abolished after forest theft exposed
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 native forest have been logged in areas that VicForests is not permitted to operate.
Tonight on 7:30 the ABC will detail widespread and systematic unlawful logging occurring across eastern Victoria under successive governments.
Logging in one of the areas not allocated to VicForests
A look behind VicForests killing experiment
In late July ABC news exposed a shocking experiment being conducted by state owned logging company VicForests. The agency is logging the habitat of Greater Gliders, an animal already threatened with extinction, to see how many survive.
VicForests released a lengthy statement justifying the so called 'research' that has been labelled the terrestrial equivalent of so called scientific whaling.
Click here to view the ABC news TV story.
VicForests logging experiment ‘very likely’ to kill threatened wildlife
The Victorian government’s logging agency VicForests is conducting a controversial experiment in East Gippsland that it says is ‘very likely’ to kill Greater Gliders, a forest species listed as vulnerable to extinction.
Read moreAndrews government accused of 'impotent approach' to logging breaches
Originally published in The Age - By Farrah Tomazin, 25 February, 2018
The Andrews government has spent years investigating claims of unlawful logging against its state-owned timber company without enforcing any penalties.
Documents reveal Victoria's environment department is currently probing 27 alleged forest breaches against VicForests, reported by the community between January 2016 and December 2017 - including multiple claims involving rainforests, where timber harvesting is prohibited.
Read moreAustralia's 'dirtiest' power station considers 'clean energy' biomass burning option
again earn credits for generating clean energy, but there's dispute about whether burning native forest waste for energy is 'carbon neutral'. Background Briefing reports.
Originally published on the ABC website
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Victorian forests bound for China under secret Andrews Government rescue plan
Confidential documents reveal the VicForests has been exporting whole logs to China for rock bottom prices. In the absence of a viable market for so called 'residual' timber, after the collapse of the export woodchip market, VicForests are stopping to new lows here by exporting unprocessed timber and exporting jobs. Our forests are worth so much more standing than they are as unprocessed logs heading to China for rock bottom prices.
The Andrew's government appears to have relaxed restrictions on the the export of unprocessed materiel. It's a move that has angered environmentalists and the Unions. Looks like the rogue agency VicForests has the government wrapped around their finger.
The story broke in The Age newspaper this morning. GECO's Ed Hill spoke with the ABC, explaining that in the language of VicForests, 'residue' actually means whole trees from high conservation value forests. Click read more for media.
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Urgent Action Needed To Stop Native Forest Biomass!
In less than a week the federal Senate will decide whether to include native forest biomass burning in the Renewable Energy Target!
Please call, tweet and email the Senate cross benchers now!
We urgently need your help! In less than a week the Senate will consider legislation that proposes to include burning native forests for electricity (biomass) in the Renewable Energy Target (RET). The Federal government and the logging industry want the RET to include native forest biomass power as an eligible source of renewable energy. This would mean native forest biomass would qualify for Renewable Energy Certificates (REC'S) and compete directly with true sources of renewable energy like solar and wind.
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