Biodiversity

Biodiversity Issues

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!

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

$87 Kms\' from Parliament LBP$

The Leadbeater's possum (adult male pictured), Victoria's faunal emblem, is on the brink of extinction.

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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.

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.

Environment group takes VicForests to court for breaking the law

Victorian law requires that the endangered species in Brown Mountain’s National Estate forests be protected. Sadly, large chunks of its habitat and wildlife have been destroyed since 1989. The government won’t look for the species unless volunteers identify them first. Last January and again in August, various rare and endangered wildlife species were found by volunteers. This should mean instant protection. But it hasn’t. VicForests and the DSE appear to be ignoring the legislation. Environment East Gippsland (EEG) had no option left but to take the government to the Supreme Court.

Leadbeater's tree planting day

Please come and plant trees for our endangered possum

Leadbeaters Tree Planting May 09.pdf 234.49 kB

Biodiversity Resources

Leadbeaters Recovery Plan

Current Species Status:

Endangered (Schedule 1, Endangered Species Protection Act 1992, IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals 1994, ANZECC 1991, CNR 1995). In Victoria, Leadbeater's Possum is listed as a threatened taxon on Schedule 2 of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Leadbeater's Possum was thought to be extinct following no records for 50 years when it was rediscovered in the Central Highlands of Victoria (Wilkinson 1961). Since then it has been recorded at approximately 300 localities, over an area of approximately 80 km east to west and 65 km north to south (Macfarlane and Seebeck 1991). The species is now primarily restricted to the tall eucalypt forests of Mountain Ash, Alpine Ash and Shining Gum in the Central Highlands, where it occurs in numerous scattered patches throughout the area.

Link to website

State of the Forest Report 2008

This is the second Victorian State of the Forests Report. The information in this report complements Victoria’s State of the Environment Report 2008, Catchment Condition Report 2007, and the State of the Parks Report 2007. Together, these provide a clear picture of the major issues surrounding the management of our natural resources and will help to ensure that Victoria’s environment is protected for future generations.

Victoria’s forests are important and treasured natural assets. They provide habitat for many native flora and fauna species and form some of our most spectacular landscapes. Forests provide a wide range of wood and non-wood products, clean water resources, and play a vital role in the mitigation of climate change. Forests are places where Victorians head to work and play, and are culturally and spiritually significant to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike.

A key objective of Victoria’s sustainable forest management is to protect and enhance the health and diversity of our forests, whilst ensuring they continue to provide a range of social and economic benefits for Victorian communities. For this to be achieved, it is essential that the management of our forests is supported by the best possible information. Victoria’s State of the Forest reporting makes a significant contribution to the knowledge required for
informed management decisions. I encourage you to read this report, to learn, and to share in the successes, the challenges and the ongoing improvements we are striving to achieve for the forests of Victoria.

State of the forest 2009.pdf 3.02 MB