The Labor government's logging agency VicForests has begun logging in the Toolangi state forest, where critically endangered Leadbeater's possums have been found. 

Logging commenced without a pre-logging threatened species survey to identify protected species and implement legally required protections.

Community group Wildlife of the Central Highlands detected a critically endangered Leadbeater's possum on the edge of the logging area last Sunday night but the logging is continuing wihtout a threatened species survey to protect other endangered possums likely to be in the area. 

As VicForests refused to look for other Leadbeater's possums in the rest of the forest, volunteers from WOTCH conducted another survey and found a second Leadbeater's possum!

October 4, 2017

Environmental organisation Friends of the Earth (FoE) today welcomed Minister Lily D'Ambrosio's announcement that 1,200 hectares of land, including the Nationally significant College Creek has been handed back to the State. This is the first of 8,000 ha that will return to the state by 2028, under the Strzelecki Cores and Links Reserve. The land was under the control of Hancock Victorian Plantations.

Friends of the Earth spokesperson Anthony Amis, said "this has been a 20 year campaign to protect College Creek and its unique rainforest attributes. Full credit must go to Friends of Gippsland Bush (FoGB) who initiated this campaign back in 1996."

Well over 300 people turned out on a freezing night to stop logging in Mirboo North in Gippsland on the 14th of September. Local resident Marg Thomas said "Vic Forests (VF), were ill prepared for the well informed and vehement community opposition to logging the community's local forests".

"The people attending voted unanimously that logging not proceed and established the "Preserve our Forests Campaign". This small community's indomitable spirit is something VF will find hard, if not impossible, to counter. Mirboo North residents will never give up and are determined to preserve their forests".

The Andrew’s government purchase of the ailing Heyfield timber mill should now complete the transition out of native forests into plantations, environment group Friends of the Earth has said.  

“The purchase of the mill gives the government an opportunity to decisively act to protect forests and prevent the extinction of endangered wildlife. The next step is to urgently complete the transition of the logging industry out of native forests and into plantations and create the Great Forest National Park,” said Friends of the Earth campaigner Ed Hill.

Recent logging within the proposed Great Forest National Park - Chris Taylor

Friends of the Earth's forest collective organised a massive day of action for National Threatened Species Day last week, on 7 September. 

Our forest campaign released the Lawless Logging report with Goongerah Environment Centre and Fauna and Flora Research Collective documenting 27 cases of logging in Victoria that breached environmental protections for threatened wildlife and rainforest over the last three years.

FoE mobilised dozens of forest activists and coordinated with forest groups across Victoria to hold actions throughout the city highlighting the report’s findings and recommendations.

To mark National Threatened Species day, Friends of the Earth Melbourne has released a report documenting 27 unlawful native forest logging operations in protected threatened species habitat and rainforest. 

These logging operations have occurred under the Andrews Labor government.

The Lawless logging report has been prepared by FoE in partnership with forest survey groups Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO) and Fauna and Flora Research Collective (FFRC).

Read the report here.

On 7 September 1996, Threatened Species Day was declared to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the death of the last remaining Tasmanian tiger at Hobart Zoo in 1936.

To commemorate the day this year, the Victorian government "encourage[s] the community to prevent further extinctions of Australia's fauna and flora, and to restore healthy numbers of endangered species and ecological communities in the wild". 

The Foe Forest Collective is well up for this invitation and thinks that a good start would be for the Victorian government to stop logging protected forest communities and their threatened and endangered wildlife! And to end the logging industry's exemption from federal environment laws that protect threatened species!

On Threatened Species Day we'll deliver our message right across Melbourne in a massive day of action. Do you want to join in?

The Greater Glider is Australia’s largest gliding marsupial. Once common, Greater Gliders have declined by 80% in the last two decades.  

Logging operations have wiped out large areas of its habitat and it's the latest Victorian animal to become a threatened species.

Government scientists advised Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio to issue a conservation order to protect the Greater Glider. Unfortunately, Victoria’s Environment Department has urged the Environment Minister not to follow this advice.

Greater Gliders continue to be killed and their habitat destroyed by logging.

The latest areas up for destruction are “Glenview” coupe (298 516 0001) in the upper headwaters of the Kalatha Creek in and "Guitar Solo" coupe (307-505-0011), both in Toolangi state forest.

Please, let the Minister know you expect the Greater Gliders in these coupes to be immediately protected from logging.

Send your email below and follow up by calling her office on (03) 9637 9504

Join us on Threatened Species Day to call on the Victorian parliament to protect our threatened wildlife from logging.

Thursday September 7, 5.30pm – 8.30pm.

Parliament House, Melbourne.

The state owned logging agency VicForests has moved logging machinery out of the contentious Hermitage Creek forests where a significant population of threatened Greater Gliders has been found.