The Victorian election will be held on November 29, 2014.

While the main Parties look set to run a ‘bread and butter’ election – focusing on issues like education, health, infrastructure and the economy, there is also a pressing need to make environmental concerns an issue at this election.

FoE is not aligned with any political party. Its mission is to gain protection for the natural environment, and elections present a great opportunity to promote a policy agenda which will help gain these protections.

The Baillieu/ Napthine government has the poorest track record on the protection and restoration of the environment of any government since Victoria’s peak environment groups were founded in the 1950s.

The state’s environment groups, Environment Victoria (founded 1969), The Wilderness Society (founded 1976), Friends of the Earth (founded 1973) and the Victorian National Parks Association (founded 1952) have today said that the past four years of policy under the Napthine and Baillieu Governments represents a wholesale attack on the state’s environment.

A research report released today by environment group Friends of the Earth shows that the financial cost to governments and the community in Victoria from natural disasters was $19.937 billion dollars over a ten year period from 2003 to 2013.

The report Natural Disasters and a Warming Climate; Understanding the Cumulative Financial Impacts on Victoria is a compilation of loss statistics from weather related Victorian disaster events – fires, floods, storms and heatwaves. The figures of $6,762.87 million in public costs and $13,174.2 million in insured costs are based on estimates of loss cost rather than true cost. Disaster cost estimates in Australia are largely drawn from insurance data or insurance data with some augmentation; they are therefore a limited proxy for true costs. 

The Green Pledge is a new Friends of the Earth campaign that involves taking 5 personal actions for one week to limit your carbon emissions to 50% of the average Australian. By getting friends and family to sponsor you for your efforts, you can raise awareness and funds to help tackle climate change. This year The Green Pledge is taking place from the 17th-23rd of October. Funds from these donations go directly to Friends of the Earth and all contributions are tax deductible. Check out The Green Pledge website here!

The 2014 State election will set the agenda for environment and climate policy for years to come. So it’s time to put the major parties to the test on climate and environment.

Who are the people that want this power and how do they intend to use it?

Come and hear the major parties put forward their case for why they deserve your vote. We’ve invited each major party to explain their philosophies and outline their policies for the climate and our environment.

Starting Tues 23 September.

A controversial proposal by Canadian company Crocodile Gold has divided the community of the quiet rural town of Stawell in Western Victoria.  The proposal is to develop 2 large open cut pits in close proximity to houses, a primary school, nursing home, church and other facilities.

Please join the Big Hill Action Group to voice your concern about the environmental and health impacts of this major project.

Support the community rally at Parliament House Melbourne, at lunchtime on September 16th.

Media release. July 30, 2014. Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth (FoE) has supported the call from Latrobe Valley community organisation Voices of the Valley for the full rehabilitation of non-operational mine faces in the Hazelwood mine and the assessment of future industrial developments for their potential health impacts before they are approved.

“Voices of the Valley’s call for the reassessment of the 13 billion tonnes of coal that has been earmarked for allocation is a significant move” said Friends of the Earth campaigns co-ordinator Cam Walker.

Canadian gold miner Crocodile Gold is pressing ahead with the development of the Big Hill open pit project at Stawell in western Victoria.

The proposed gold mine would remove Big Hill, the major physical feature of Stawell. The company intends to replace the hill after the mining operation is completed.

The company is currently seeking approval from the Victorian Government to proceed.

Are you interested in getting involved in our campaign to get environmental issues onto the agenda of all political parties in the buildup to the November 29 state election?

We will be holding an information night on 18 February at FoE from 7pm - 8pm.

A research report released today by FoE shows that the financial cost to governments and the community in Victoria from natural disasters was almost $20 billion dollars over a ten year period from 2003 to 2013. A research report released today by FoE shows that the financial cost to governments and the community in Victoria from natural disasters was $19.937 billion dollars over a ten year period from 2003 to 2013.