Forest news
Barjarg-Harpers Rd planned burn - what can we learn, by Bertram Lobert, 10 May 2024 on Our Strathbogie Forest
Understanding the Interconnected Threats to Global Sustainability: A Focus on Deforestation, Traditional Knowledge, and Biopiracy, by Marissa Costa De Castro in Soiuth Views, 10 May 2024
Video recordings from the Nillumbik Friends of the Great Forest workshop on Rethinking Bushfire Mitigation in the Landscape (27 April 2024), with Dr Phil Zylstra, Aawa White and Vicky Shukuroglou. Thanks to Nillumbik Friends!
Bushfire response branded 'excessive' after 1000 burns planned across Aussie state. Michael Dahlstrom, Yahoo News, 2 May 2024
Carbon Markets Biased, Distorted, Undermined. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, IDEAs, 10 April 2024
Market-based schemes not reducing deforestation, poverty: Report. Nick Perry, Phys.Org 6 May 2024
The vanishing old growth forests. Michael Slezak, ABC, 13 Nov 2022
VAGO sharply critical of failures of the Office of the Conservation Regulator, VAGO, 6 October 2022
Protecting forests for communities and for the environment, Lily D'Ambrosio media release, 30 August 2021
Process on establishing new ‘Immediate’ Protection Areas for Victoria’s native forests needs to move quickly to make up for lost time, VNPA media release on new IPAs 28 August 2021
Bushfire survivors just won a crucial case against the NSW environmental watchdog, putting other states on notice by Laura Schuijers in The Conversation, 27 August 2021
Coalition fails to meet endangered species targets to stem decline of birds, mammals and plants by Lisa Cox in The Guardian 26 June 2021
The government’s idea of ‘national environment standards’ would entrench Australia’s global pariah status by Martine Maron, Brendan Wintle and Craig Moritz in The Conversation, 24 June 2021
VicForests: What's the scam? by Tasha May in MW 9 June 2021
On the cusp of an epic launch for hardwood CLTP Timberbiz, 11 June, 2021 ("world's first hardwood cross laminated timber")
VicForests says experiment 'very likely' to kill threatened glider, continues research ABC News 28 July 2021
Major Event Review of Regional Forest Agreements announced (28 May 2021). See Major Event Review Scoping Agreement.
Consultation on MaJor Event Review launched 11 June 2021
Summary report here, Survey and submissions close 31 August 2021
The Age (Miki Perkins) ‘Leave the forests alone’: Swift action needed to save endangered parrots (24 May 2021)
ABC News (Michael Slezak and Penny Timms) VicForests conducting more illegal logging and putting Melbourne water catchment at risk, scientists say (18 May 2021)
Forest refuges under threat from logging by the Andrews Government. February 2021 report from Goongerah Environment Centre showing analysis of maps and data from the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires reveals the significant areas of unburnt forests critical for bushfire affected wildlife which are set to be logged by the Victorian Government. (23 Feb 2021)
TheAge & SMH (Miki Perkins) Environment groups accuseVicForests of illegal logging (17 Sept 2020)
ABC News (Stephanie Dalziel): Auditor-General's review of EPBC act finds severe deficiencies in Environment Department's processes 25 June 2020 ("Almost 80 per cent of federal environmental approvals examined in a high-level review were non-compliant or contained errors, Australia's audit office says".)
Timberbiz: Statistics show plantations sizes dropping in Australia, 26 June 2020 ("... a tale of government inaction and ineptitude")
VicForest announces draft TRP and draft TUP for consultation, 21 Nov 2019
Concern for Melbourne's drinking water after scientists allege illegal logging. Michael Slezak, ABC News, Wed 20 Nov 2019
Government native forest logging announcement developed in consultation with Nippon Paper and endorsed by Australian Paper CEO. See In the thick of it by Samantha Hutchinson and Kylar Loussikian in TheAge, Nov 18, 2019 (tab down to In the thick of it).
Brendan's Fact Sheet on Forestry in Victoria (15 Nov 2019)
Protecting Victoria’s Forests And Threatened Species, Lily D'Ambrosio announcement of immediate protections and gradual phase out of native forest logging. (7 Nov 2019)
See also GECO's analysis: Breaking down the gov’s announcement; What does this actually mean for Victoria’s forests? Nov 09 2019
Independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Ministerial announcement, 29 Oct 2019
See EJA comment here
VicForests announces revised Timber Release Plan and TRP Schedule, 24 April 2019.
See VF's interactive TRP platform. (Open Google Maps, in satellite view, showing same area and scale, in a window beside the interactive TRP, to assist in reading the TRP. Insert coupe number into search box to find coupe name.)
More regarding the Alexandra District here.
New Allocation Order announced and gazetted and mapped, 24 April 2019. (See RFPG regulatory map to locate the allocation order and TRP in the regulatory framework.)
'Common sense': Littleproud backs Victoria plan to earn carbon credits by curbing logging: Minister breaks ranks on forest policy amid fears for beekeeping industry and the knock-on impacts on farmers (Greg Borschmann in The Guardian 28 Mar 2019)
Damning logging report finds Victorian department neither 'effective nor respected': Review finds state’s logging regime is ‘dated, complex, convoluted’ and ‘difficult to use’ (Lisa Cox in The Guardian, 25 Mar 2019)
Victorian timber workers face uncertainty as plan for industry's access to native forests delayed (ABC, 190222). Posted 190318.
Forestry industry in limbo as Andrews stalls timber release plan (AdamCarey, TheAge, 190221). Posted 190318
Labor's 'sea to summit' hike trail being clearfelled before it's built (Adam Carey, TheAge, 190213). Posted 190318
Bush turns its back on support for logging native forests Peter Hannam in the SMH 14 Nov 2018
Small sawmillers propose "bold plan" to save Victoria’s timber industry by making Victoria the ‘Plantation State’ of Australia by 2040. Media release 21 Aug 2018
Victoria calls on federal government to fund fresh reviews of forestry agreements: A row between state and federal ministers has thrown Victoria’s long-term native forest logging agreements into disarray, Gregg Borschmann in the Guardian, 27 March 2018
Sawmillers call for access to Victorian parks and water catchments: Sawmillers say industry in ‘wind-down mode’ as state government discusses logging agreements extension, Gregg Borschmann in The Guardian, 26 March 2018
Coalition accuses green groups of misleading public on forestry agreements: Anne Ruston says National Parks Association “engaged in a campaign to mislead the Australian people” after groups make public submissions on RFAs, Guardian, 23 March 2018
Direct action at Barjarg Road Coup in Strathbogie on International Day of the Forests, 21 March, 2018
Exclusive: legal concerns over plan to roll over forestry agreements without reviews: Documents reveal government plans to extend RFAs without fresh environmental or scientific reviews, Gregg Borschmann in The Guardian, 21 March 2018
Labor demands no sign off of regional forest agreements unless a proper assessment is done, Media Release by NSW Labor Shadow Minister for the Environment, 21 March, 2018
After 20 years of uneasy peace, the forest wars are back: Agreements meant to protect forests and create a sustainable timber industry are about to expire, and both sides are preparing for new conflict, Gregg Borschmann in the Guardian, 20 March 2018
The new forest wars: 'This is something we didn't expect' – video, Guardian, 20 March 2018
VicForests charged over alleged illegal logging in Gippsland forest, Adam Carey, in SMH, 2 March 2018
'We've hit rock bottom'(video): There has never been a more serious time to pay attention to Australia's environment, yet Bob Brown, Peter Garrett and other activists say protections have been slashed, funding cut and charities silenced, David Fanner in The Guardian, 30 Jan 2018
Plan to protect possum under cloud as timber industry seeks change, Adam Carey in The Age, 26 February 2018
Senseless logging of the Strathbogie Ranges is wiping out greater gliders, Ian Herbert in Independent Australia, 20 Feb 2018
Labor branches push for new environment act and independent watchdog: ALP’s internal advocacy group wants sweeping reforms to protect natural heritage to be adopted as policy at next conference, Adam Morton in The Guardian 31 Jan 2018
'The Franklin would be dammed today': Australia's shrinking environmental protections: the nation is losing the political will to protect our pristine places – and biodiversity is suffering, Adam Morton in The Guardian, 30 Jan 2018
We must act to protect our forests before it's too late, opinion piece by Sigmund Jorgensen in The Age, 12 January 2018
"Lawless Logging: An investigation into breaches of the regulatory framework governing logging operations in Victoria" National Threatened Species Day, 7 September, 2017
"Greater gliders: fears of 'catastrophic' consequences from logging in Victoria. Gliders listed as threatened by both state and federal governments, but they are not protected by legislation" The Guardian, 7 Sept, 2017
"Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce proposes opening protected zones to logging to save Heyfield timber mill" ABC News, 27 March 2017
"Why reignite Tasmania's forest wars to produce logs no one will buy?" Lenore Taylor in The Guardian Sat 25 March, 2017
David Lindenmayer says Australian Sustainable Hardwoods is gaming the system ABC Radio Victoria.
"Long-awaited Leadbeater's possum review underway" Sam Darroch in Latrobe Valley Express, Fri 10 March 2017
VEAC's Conservation Values of State Forests Assessment Report, 7 March 2017.
"Heyfield timber mill plea misleading" David Lindenmayer, The Weekly Times, 1 March 2017
"Forests to play major role in meeting Paris climate targets", EurekaAlert, 27 Feb 2017
Forest Industry Taskforce Statement of Intent (9 Sept 2016)
FWPA (2012/13): The case for renewed development in plantations. posted 27 Aug 2018
