With no sign the government is serious about protecting our threatened forests and wildlife before the state election on 24 November, Friends of the Earth, together with Victorian National Parks Association, launched our forests electoral campaign on 11 September at Site Works in Brunswick. 

Brunswick is a great place for us to start ramping up our campaign as it is a key contested seat in the state election and . . .  #BrunswickLovesForests.

Polling in Brunswick in 2017 showed that: 

• 8 out of 10 people in Brunswick supported the protection of forests and wildlife in new national parks,
• only 17% thought the government was doing enough to protect native wildlife from logging,
• support for forest protection is growing: in 2016, 48% of those polled said they were more likely to vote for their MP if they supported forest protection and new national parks; this figure jumped to 61% in 2017. 

Want to join in the Brunswick forest campaign?

The state election is a prime opportunity for all candidates and parties to show support for forests. If you live in Brunswick, contact your candidates and let them know that you want forests protected in a new Great Forest National Park for the Central Highlands and an Emerald Link in East Gippsland, and a just transition of the logging industry out of native forests. Let them know this issue will effect your vote.

Cindy O'Connor
Victorian Labor Candidate
Email: cindy.o'[email protected]
Call on: 0426 530 834
Facebook | Twitter

Tim Read
The Greens
Email: [email protected]
Call on: 0438 002 565
Facebook | Twitter

We've put this flier into every letterbox in Brunswick and handed them out at all the train stations in the electorate. We'll be distributing more over the coming weeks. References included on the flier:

1. Keith, H., Vardon, M., Stein, J.A, Stein, J.L. and Lindenmayer, D., 2017 Ecosystem accounts define explicit and spatial trade-offs for managing natural resources. Nature ecology & evolution, 1 (11), p. 1683

2. Nous Group, Great Forest National Park: economic contribution of park establishment, park management and visitor expenditure.

Sample letter to candidates

Here's an example of the kind of things you can include in your message to candidates:

To (candidate name),

My name is xxxxx and I’m a resident of Brunswick.

I'm getting in touch to call on you to show support for the protection of Victoria's native forests. I believe it is not in the best interests of Victoria to continue to log native forests when most of the demand for wood and paper products is being fulfilled by plantations.

Logging in Victoria's native forests is driving endangered wildlife to extinction, depleting Melbourne's water supplies and accelerating climate change. Logging is degrading our precious green spaces that are vital for the wellbeing and recreation of city dwellers, as well as the economies of regional communities. Most native trees that are logged in Victoria are pulped for cheap copy paper. I do not believe this is wise use of of such a valuable natural resource.

Victoria's forests are far more valuable if they are left standing and protected in new parks than they are as copy paper.

I call on you to support the Great Forest National Park and East Gippsland's Emerald Link proposals that will protect our beautiful native forests and their wildlife.

This issue is very important to me and will strongly influence my vote at the upcoming by-election.

Kind regards,

(your name and address)

Display a forest placard in front of your house

Show your support for forest protection during the Victorian state election by displaying this eye catching sign at your house! Register your details here and we'll be in touch to arrange getting you the sign or coming and installing it for you.

p.s. The electorate of Brunswick includes parts of Coburg, Pascoe Vale South, Parkville, Brunswick East and Brunswick West. Check if you live in the electorate here.

You don't need to live in Brunswick to join the campaign

Join as us we letterbox every household in Brunswick, hand out fliers at every train station, hold stalls in Sydney Rd, Lygon St, Barkley Square and Brunswick Secondary College, and get up to loads of fun with projections, banners and our giant Greater Glider.

And please, post your own photos of activities in Brunswick and share ours on social media using #Brunswick and #BrunswickLovesForests.

Do you have ideas for good ways for us to highlight Brunswick's love for forests? Let us know and we'll make it happen.

To join in, email [email protected] and let us know how you'd like to be involved.

Here's a list of stuff that's happening in Brunswick - join in!

Forest Stall at CERES Flea Market
Saturday 8 Sept 9am to 11am
CERES environment park, 9 Lee St, Brunswick East
Facebook event

Brunswick Forest Campaign Action Meeting
Tuesday 11 Sept 6pm to 8pm
Site Works, 33 Saxon St, Brunswick
Facebook event
RSVP

Fliering at Brunswick Station 
Thursday 13 Sept 7am to 8.30am
Brunswick Station
Facebook event

Fliering at Moreland Station
Friday 14 Sept 7am to 8.30am
Moreland Station
Facebook event

Forest stall at Brunswick Secondary Twilight Market
Friday 14 Sept 4pm to 8pm
Brunswick Secondary College, 47 Dawson St
Facebook event

Fully Siq Brunswiq street partay with Swoop Glidey Glider
Friday 14 Sept 6.30pm onwards
Meet on the corner of Lygon St and Glenlyon
Facebook event

Possums, Posts and Pints
Sunday 16 Sept 11am to 4pm
Edinburgh Castle, 681 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
A day of letterboxing with FoE Forest Collective, then to the pub
Facebook event

Fliering at Jewell Station
Monday 17 Sept 7am to 8.30am
Jewell Station
Facebook event

Fliering at Anstey Station
Tuesday 18 Sept 7am to 8.30am
Jewell Station
Facebook event

Forest Stall at CERES Flea Market
Saturday 22 Sept 9am to 11am
CERES environment park, 9 Lee St, Brunswick East
Facebook event

Vegan BBQ and forest stall at Pachamama Wholefoods
Saturday 22 Sept 10am to 3pm
Pachamama, 74 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Facebook event

Brunswick Candidates Forum (hosted by Brunswick Residents Network)
Tues 30 Oct 6.30pm
Site Works, 33 Saxon St, Brunswick
Brunswick residents come along and ask candidates about forest protection
Facebook event

(more to come . . . )

Some images from the Brunswick action meeting launch night on Tues 11 Sept, letterboxing and our CERES stall.