Our work
Breaches
Breach #208 Landing operations and hauling in wet weather (Toolangi, Victoria)
Breach Description:
Log trucks loading and operating in wet weather 13th and 16th June 2010
#205 Inadequate Public Participation in Proposed TRP Amendments Process (Healesville, Victoria)
Breach Description:
#205 In relation to the recent proposed TRP amendments by VicForests, MyEnvironment Inc submitted a request for more information so that an adequate TRP submission could be made, however this information has not been provided which breaches the requirements of the AFS standard in terms of meaningful stakeholder engagement.
Biodiversity Issues
We need your support for the protection of Yabby and Shrimp against over fishing before September 10 2010
They maybe small and I agree not so pretty but without them we lose species that define Australia such as the Platypus. This is a call to action to write a quick submission on the policy settings to protect the once common yabbie.
Donate Now to Fund Research to Stop Logging Leadbeaters Possum Habitat
The Leadbeater's possum (adult male pictured), Victoria's faunal emblem, is on the brink of extinction.
Biodiversity Summit
Biodiversity is the living fabric of the planet – the diversity of ecosystems, species and genes which make up life on earth. Australia has a special responsibility as one of 17 mega-diverse countries that collectively hold about 70% of the world’s plants and animals. We have more endemic animal species than any other country. We are also unique in spanning an entire continent and its surrounding seas within one political jurisdiction.
Victoria's State of the Forest Report 2008
The State of the Forests Report is supposed to underpin the sustainability of Victoria's native forest logging; however it is clear that 2/3 of the indicators have missing data!
Baw Baw Frog
This is an insightful glimpse of just how far the Department of Sustainability and Environment is prepared to go to make sure that critically endangered species habitat can be clear fell logged.
Senate Inquiry into the operation of the EPBC Act 1999
Due 5 September 2008
Climate Issues
The Story of Cap and Trade
The Story of Cap & Trade is a fast-paced, fact-filled look at the leading climate solution being discussed at Copenhagen and on Capitol Hill. Host Annie Leonard introduces the energy traders and Wall Street financiers at the heart of this scheme and reveals the "devils in the details" in current cap and trade proposals: free permits to big polluters, fake offsets and distraction from what’s really required to tackle the climate crisis. If you’ve heard about cap and trade, but aren’t sure how it works (or who benefits), this is the film is for you.
You will need broadband connection click here to watch the movie
Fire Issues
Thoughts on the Victorian Bushfires
Excellent observations and opinions on why the cry for more FRBs is a nonsense - written by Andrew Campbell, a Victorian Forester. Every paragraph is a pearler.
Greenlivingpedia WIKI on Victorian Bushfires
The 2009 Victorian bushfires on Saturday 7 February 2009 were the worst bushfires in Australia's history, surpassing both the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 and the Black Friday fires in 1939.
The bushfires travelled at alarming speed, up to 100km/h, across farmland and through plantations and heavily "managed" forests, including forests where recent fuel reduction burns had been done.
Bushfire and climate scientists have confirmed that Victoria's hottest day ever, combined with very strong north winds, created conditions for an unstoppable firestorm.
Salvage logging has started - what are the environmental effects?
The salvage logging/green logging is an industry practice following fire events – on top of current allocations they go into burnt-out forest and clear-fell with no A grade logs and 50-80% going to wood chip. The animals that have lost their source of food also lose their homes and future homes.
Royal Commission into Victoria's Bushfires
For the latest update on the Royal Commission into Victoria's Bushfires
$50 million dollar Fuel Breaks - And how did they perform on Feb 7?
A precautionary measure or a political stunt? The jury is out on whether this fuel break is anything more than timber grab?
The question now - Were these $50 million timber hauling exercises useful in protecting human life? Were the other 21 options on the list for government fire proofing investment more sensible, but perhaps less timber beneficial?
Who's asking the questions of government? $50 million for 600 kilometres of cleared forest and not a single reference to their usefulness.
Did the Government choose safety or political pantomime with a timber bonus?
Forest Issues
Opinion Piece - The Central Highlands – Melbourne’s Mountain Forest Sanctuary
Healesville was once (1980’s) sign-posted on the road in from Yarra Glen…
‘HEALESVILLE - GATEWAY TO MELBOURNE’S MOUNTAIN FOREST SANCTUARY’
Road maps used to show (1970’s) the State Forest of the region as the ‘Central Highlands Sanctuary.’
We hope the past sentiments that evidently valued the beauty and natural history aspects of the area will be reaffirmed in the near future.
Our Disappearing Forests Survey Results
Our Disappearing Forest survey results - 30% of approximately 300 attendees completed surveys, 92% want the forest managed for biodiversity, 0% want the status quo, 90% want an immediate transition to plantations, 72% want end end to all native forest logging, 76% want to support a boycott campaign against brands that use native forest wood and 63% are reconsidering their state and/or federal vote Read More
VicForests Review by the Department of Treasury and Finance 2010 instead of the Auditor-General
The Auditor-General was supposed to audit VicForests before the next state election, but just as it was about to announce the deadline for submissions, the state government swooped in and the Department of Treasury and Finance (i.e. VicForests' shareholder) decided they would do a review first. The following are a number of submissions made from regional groups Read More
Massive Monarch at Risk
One of the state's, if not Australia's, oldest and largest tree has been discovered adjacent to several large logging coupes in Toolangi. Set amidst the western-most area of Gondwanic remnant rain forest, this tree's massive waistline could break national records. The tree is in a vulnerable part of state forest which is open to logging. Read more
The logging of Mt St Leonard
In 2008 VicForests started a coupe which has recently been completed and is now visible on the side of the mountain. VicForests have now requested to log two more coupes that will be visible from Yarra Glen, School Lane, the Main Street of Healesville and the balcony of Innocent Bystander.
Indicators of Sustainability for Victoria's Native Forest
The major indicators of sustainability for Victoria's native forest logging are: VicForests' financial position, the rate of forest regeneration, the State of the Forests Report, the CAR Reserve System, legislation, alleged breaches Read More
Logging the National Trail
Created as a tourism and environmental icon as part of Australia's Bicentennial celebrations, the Australian Bicentennial National Trail (ABNT) is a 5,330 km multi-use trail. Most people are surprised by Environment Minister Gavin Jenning's decision to allow logging of the Australian Bicentential National Trail. Public safety zones around the logging areas make it illegal to use the Victorian end in Toolangi. Other logging in the area is going to impact the recently proposed CJ Dennis Memorial trail that will connect Kinglake and the Monda Track. Read More
Sicforests
SicForests is a new website reviewing the activities of the state government's logging company. The site provides some insights into VicForests - native forest logging company and their business practices.
The Ethics of Timber Forests
Forest Certification is gaining currency around the world, and is now emerging in Australia. So how does the system work – and what does it mean in environmental and social terms?
CAR Reserve - Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative Reserve System for Forests in Australia Requires Immediate Review
The CAR reserve system is an area of landscape representing no less than 15% of all the ecological vegetation classes in forested estates. Outside of the CAR Reserve, the landscape is open to logging. The Regional Forest Agreements are agreements across the forests that permit logging on the proviso that a CAR Reserve is in place, however, since successive Victorian bushfire's, the CAR Reserve is longer representative nor adequate and requires immediate review. At least 10% of the reserve system in the Central Highlands is damaged and/or transformed.
Have your say - Call for submissions on Logging in the Central Highlands
Despite the review of the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) being three years overdue, the state government is committed to allocating extra native forest for wood chipping rather than protecting endangered species' habitat.
Logging Impacts Lake Mountain's Tourism Value
Despite an Alpine 2020 strategy and a section of the code of forest practice that states that “Harvesting operations in native forests should take account of landscape values". A large coupe was proposed, objected to by Myenvironment Inc and then continued by Vicforests. Despite making a net loss of 5 million dollars in 2009,Vicforests is still prepared to sacrifice tourism potential for the area.
Proposed Logging of Rainforest in the Royston Range
Environmentalists who were keeping a close eye on Vicforest operations in the Royston range found that the coupe boundary had been marked to include a rain forest. An independent assessment found that the rain forest was of significance and the coupe boundary was moved.
Regional Forest Agreement - Review 2010
The Review of the Regional Forest Agreement is 3 years overdue which has had a major impact on the sustainability of Victorias native forest.
Two submissions by Myenvironment Inc on the 2010 of the Victorian Regional Forest Agreement
Failings of the Audit of Native Forests on Public Land
The current forest Audit program is being extended following a review of the forest Audit program by SKM. One of the key recommendations of the review was that the forest Audit program focus more heavily on planning element of the process.
Victorian Code of Forest Practice
In the face of an environmental catastrophe fuelled by industry self regulation that would have destroyed Australia’s “clean green image” and Australia’s reputation on the international timber market, in 1989 almost 200 years after the first tree fell by the saw the Victorian Parliament ratified the first code of forest practices for timber production in Native forests. Unfortunately the best intentions of the Parliament in 1989 have been manipulated to condemn our endangered species over wood chipping and are fast destroying Australia’s International environmental reputation.
Baw Baw Report
This report, commissioned by MyEnvironment Inc, outlines the discovery of an extraordinary and deplorable abuse of bureaucratic power to serve the interests of the Victorian logging industry, a pulp mill and the jobs of the state bureaucrats whose existence is predicated on the continued logging and wood chipping of the state’s native forests.
This report shows that the Regional Forest Agreements (RFA's) and the mechanism in place to enforce them are failing to protect endangered species. It offers a compelling reason why the Regional Forest Agreements should no longer be exempted by Section 38 of the EPBC Act. Read more
Water Issues
Target 155 Water Saving Tip #1 - Stop Logging our Water Catchments
Logging in Melbourne's catchments costs billions of litres of water and it's time for the government to stop this. It's the least we should expect as water-saving voters.
Logging in Melbournes Water Catchment - the yarra tributaries
The majority of Melbourne’s water supply is sourced from water catchments located in the Central Highlands, east of Melbourne. Currently, five out of ten catchments in this network are subject to logging operations. Two issues stem from the contentious practice of logging in Melbourne’s water catchments.
Monash University June 2008
Prepared for TAMMY LOBATO Member for Gembrook
Logging in the Thompson Catchment
Logging is having a dramatic effect on our domestic water supply - but the only people paying for it are the tax payers.
Senate Inquiry into Rural Water Resource Usage
Senate Inquiry into Rural Water Resource Usage
Due 11th March 2003
The Terms of Reference for this inquiry are:
- current rural industry based water resource usage;
- options for optimising water resource usage for sustainable agriculture;
- other matters of relevance that the committee may wish to inquire into and comment on that may arise during the course of the inquiry, including the findings and recommendations from other inquiries relevant to any of the issues in these terms of reference.
- the Committee to make its report to the Senate on this matter by the last sitting day in 2003.