Friends of the Earth is happy to announce that 2,155 hectares of land has been added to the Brataualung Forest Park in the Strzelecki Ranges. The land was promised by the State Government back in 2008 as part of a deal to link existing reserves at Gunyah Gunyah to Tarra Bulga National Park. The Governor of Victoria signed the gazettal of land into law on the 8th of October 2026.
This is in addition to 1,800 hectares of land that was gazetted by the Labor Government in 2018 as part of the same deal. The Brataualung Forest Park will eventually total 8,000 hectares of land when the full amount of land is reserved in 2028. So far, about 3,900 hectares (or 48.7%) of the Park has been Gazetted. The remaining 4,100 hectares is planned to be reserved by 2028.
The land recently gazetted as forest park was a long time coming. It was initially planned to be reserved in 2019, but a number of delays impacted the hand back. These delays included Covid 19, failed regeneration standards in a number of locations, pine trees growing on the edge of the reserve in the Jack River and Department delays due to restructuring.
Friends of the Earth have actively been involved in the Strzelecki Ranges since 1996 and we have worked closely with Friends of Gippsland Bush (FoGB) over that time. Susie Zent and Anne Westwood were the key movers and shakers behind the rainforest reserve concept in the Strzelecki's. The reserve was initially called the Strzelecki Cores and Links Rainforest Reserve. Our Hancock Watch website maintained the pressure on Hancock between 2000-2012. FoE was involved in the entire process.
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The bulk of the new land to be reserved as Forest Park, includes forest in the headwaters of Jack River, Jeffrey Creek, Albert River catchments and Little Albert River catchments.
Looking into Jeffrey Creek catchment into the forest that is now included in the Brataualung Forest Park.
The newly gazetted land is marked in purple and is about 2100 hectares in size. The forest marked blue is land that was reserved in 2018. The red indicates existing reserves at Gunyah Gunyah (650 hectares), Tarra Bulga National Park (2000 hectares) and Morwell National Park (565 hectares). The remaining 4100 hectares of reserve will link up all of these locations (except Morwell National park) into one reserve totaling 10,500 hectares.
Government Gazettal October 8 2026
The bulk work of campaigning for these forests to be protected commenced in the late 1990's after it was learnt that the Kennett Government had sold off much of the Strzelecki's when it sold the Victorian Plantations Corporation to Hancock Victorian Plantations. Much of the plantation/reforestation land sold, included old growth forest, rainforest and Strzelecki koala habitat. Pressure by the community eventually brought the Government to the negotiating table in 2004 to buy back some of what had been sold in 1998. A series of intense meetings occurred between 2004 -2006. In October 2006 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the State Government, the community, Trust for Nature, Australian Paper and Hancock Victorian Plantations to establish an 8,000 hectare reserve in the Strzelecki's.
The southern slopes of Jeffrey Creek. Its pretty hard walking in these forests. The leeches are intense!!!
In May 2008, the 2006 MoU was replaced with another agreement, allowing Hancock to clearfell 1500 hectares of forest/plantation within the 8000 hectares. Hancock was also compensated with millions of dollars and land swaps. The land that was to be clearfelled then had to be replanted with indigenous species to a standard specified by the State Government. No hand back of land would occur until the 1500 hectares of land had been regenerated.
Jeffrey Creek contains Strzelecki Warm Temperate Rainforest
Some of the now protected forest along Little Albert Road
Macleans Road is the western most portion of the Jeffrey Creek catchment. Koala scats have been found here.
Newly protected forest in the Strzelecki's. The blue areas have been protected since July 2018 and the purple since October 2026. These areas total ~3,900 hectares which means that the amount of reserved land in the Strzelecki's has more than doubled. The Strzelecki's contain the least amount of reserved land than any other bioregion in Victoria. The recently cleared areas on the map are recently logged plantations by Hancock Victorian Plantations.
The battle has not finished yet, with concerns that a future Liberal/One Nation government could deny the full Brataualung handback to occur. We need to keep the pressure up.
Donations keep our campaign going. If you feel inspired you can make a donation here.