No more lawless logging

Since the late 1990s the logging industry in Victoria has been exempt from adhering to federal environment laws that protect our nationally threatened wildlife.

Only native forest logging gets this special exemption known as a 'regional forest agreement' (RFA)

In February 2017 the East Gippsland RFA will expire. It should not be extended.

Join with us to call on the Victorian and Commonwealth governments not to extend the East Gippsland RFA and ensure that native forest logging is assessed under both state and federal environment laws in the same way as every other industry.

Since the late 1990s the logging industry in Victoria has been exempt from adhering to federal environment laws that protect our nationally threatened wildlife.

Only native forest logging gets this special exemption known as a 'regional forest agreement' (RFA)

In February 2017 the East Gippsland RFA will expire. It should not be extended.

Join with us to call on the Victorian and Commonwealth governments not to extend the East Gippsland RFA and ensure that native forest logging is assessed under both state and federal environment laws in the same way as every other industry.

Email Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenburg

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Call on Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenburg to make logging comply with federal envrionment laws by not extending the East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement.

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Dear Premier Andrews,

Cc: Victorian Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio
       Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenburg

Since the flawed Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) were signed 20 years ago, fires, climate change and markets have all combined to create a vastly different set of circumstances, threats and opportunities in Victoria’s forests.

Please do not support the regressive move to extend the obsolete RFAs.

The RFAs exempt the logging industry from complying with the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

The industry is given special treatment by not having to refer planned logging operations for assessment and approval under the EPBC Act.

The exemption from the EPBC Act is based on state logging regulations protecting federally listed threatened species. However, for many Victorian forest-dependent species listed under the EPBC Act, there are very limited or no protections from logging under Victorian law.

The Greater Glider is an iconic Australian animal that has recently been listed as vulnerable to extinction under the EPBC Act. Very limited protections for Greater Gliders in East Gippsland were created over 20 years ago when the species was relatively common.

These protections have failed. This is evidenced by a dramatic decline in the last 20 years, mainly due to extensive logging of habitat with very weak state based protections. In other regions in Victoria, the species has no protection from logging whatsoever.

The Greater Glider’s decline shows how the RFAs have failed threatened species. Despite the Greater Glider’s listing as vulnerable under the EPBC Act, the outdated state based protection in East Gippsland has not been reviewed and strengthened in light of its decline and listing as threatened under federal law.

Other industries need approval from the Commonwealth Environment Minister before taking an action that may significantly impact federally listed threatened species. Native forest logging does not. The result has been catastrophic for Victoria’s forest dependent wildlife.

In February 2017 the East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) will expire. I respectfully request that you do not extend the East Gippsland RFA and instead ensure that logging is subject to the same environmental assessment and approval processes as any other industry under the EPBC Act.

Whilst the Victorian Government is examining options for the conservation of Victoria’s forests and threatened species through the Forest Industry Taskforce, it would be irresponsible to extend the failed and out-dated East Gippsland RFA. An extension would result in prolonging the special treatment the logging industry has exploited for 20 years.

This means more destruction of habitat for federally listed threatened species at a critical time when important steps to conserve native forests and wildlife need to be taken.

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