Victorian Government

Bob Brown for Brown Mountain: Treasury Place Today!

Bob Brown press conference 1pm (Wednesday 28-1-09)

Contents: ">"Bob Brown: Threatened animal find must stop Brown Mountain logging, ">"Sue Pennicuik: Heartbreak at Brown Mountain", ">"Logging on Brown Mountain is state sanctioned vandalism"

Bob Brown will be holding a conference with Liz from the Forest Alliance tomorrow (Wednesday 28 Jan, 2009) at 1pm to talk about the threatened species on Brown Mountain and the urgent need for the govt to live up to its responsibilities.

After activists presented the findings of the mammal survey to the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) minister's office this morning, DSE agreed to carry out a survey to confirm the forest defenders' findings. The forest activists have employed a local zoologist - Rohan Bilney.

Be outside the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Treasury Gardens at 1pm in a show of solidarity between species for this country and this planet.

" id="BobBrown">Threatened animal find must stop Brown Mountain logging

Premier John Brumby must pull loggers out of East Gippsland's Brown Mountain following the discovery of threatened species in the area, Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Melbourne today.

Environment East Gippsland commissioned a survey of two areas slated for logging that has found evidence of threatened species, including the Sooty Owl.

A separate search last weekend also found the threatened Orbost Spiny Crayfish in a creek near where VicForests has already started bulldozing.

"The Department of Sustainability and Environment must be hanging its head with shame that it failed in its responsibility to properly survey the area before logging was given the go ahead," Senator Brown said.

"Premier John Brumby must put a halt to logging while the findings of the EEG surveys are confirmed.

"We heard only yesterday that the global market for woodchips has plunged, so there is even less need for Victoria's precious old-growth forests to be feeding Eden's woodchip mill.

"These forests have far greater value in housing our diverse native species and storing carbon, which would otherwise be released through logging and burning.

"If the government won't protect the state's animals then it's up to its citizens, whether through protest, identifying threatened species, or taking legal action," Senator Brown said.

Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603

" id="SuePennicuik">Heartbreak at Brown Mountain

Originally published at on

27 Jan 09

Greens MP, Sue Pennicuik visited the Brown Mountain area over the Australia Day weekend and described the destruction of the old growth forest to the east of Brown Mountain Creek as 'heartbreaking'.

"I spent Sunday morning walking through one fantastic stand of old growth to the west of Brown Mountain Creek, where trees with 11 and 12 metre circumferences towered above us. They could be up to 400 years old," said Ms Pennicuik. Anyone who went there could only be awed and inspired and would want to see it protected.

"I was devastated to then visit an adjacent area that has been clear felled by Vic Forests over November and December. To see what just a few weeks ago was magnificent rainforest smashed to pieces is just terrible. It is senseless. Giant trees that have lived for hundreds of years and were home to threatened species have been just knocked to the ground in what now resembles a moonscape.

"This area is significant old growth forest of high conservation value because of the diversity of species, the age range of the trees - young, medium, and the giants that are hundreds of years old. It supports a wealth of native animals including threatened species such as the sooty owl, the greater and yellow bellied gliders and the spiny crayfish, which was spotted in the creek," she said.

During the 2006 state election the ALP pledged to protect all the remaining significant old growth forest in East Gippsland.

"It is a mistake by the government not to preserve the whole area as a vital link between the Errinundra and Snowy River National Parks. Even though one part of it has now been lost, it is not too late to prevent the destruction of any more of it," she said.

"I call on the Brumby government to take control of Vic Forests and put a stop to the planned logging in two more coupes at Brown Mountain. This area was listed as part of the National Estate in the 1980's and the values that enabled that listing are still there and are more important than ever," she said.

"This significant old growth forest is owned by the Victorian people, not by Vic Forests. It is far more valuable to the community now and in the future as carbon storage, as part of the Snowy River catchment and as an area of irreplaceable natural beauty than as a pile of woodchips heading to Japan," she said.

For further comment: Sue Pennicuik – 0407 000 270,

" id="SuePennicuik2">Logging on Brown Mountain is state sanctioned vandalism

Originally published at on 7 Nov08

Greens MP, Sue Pennicuik said today that logging at Brown Mountain in East Gippsland is state sanctioned vandalism and a blatant overturning of the ALP's 2006 commitment to protect old growth forests in East Gippsland.

Addressing protestors on the steps of state parliament, Ms Pennicuik said that "Nineteen years ago a forest protest at Brown Mountain stopped logging there in the lead up to the 1990 federal election. It is outrageous that it has commenced again now." said Ms Pennicuik. "The continued logging of old growth forests in this time of climate change is an absolute disgrace."

"You would think that the state government would have had time to learn since 1990 that old growth forests are much more valuable as critical carbon and biodiversity stores than as woodchips. The forests of East Gippsland must be protected and not logged as fodder at a bargain basement price for the Eden chip mill," she said.

The current Minister for the Environment Gavin Jennings should remember the Brown Mountain forests well. He was centrally involved in the negotiations which led to logging being stopped in 1990 in his role as an adviser to the then Environment Minister.

"Brown Mountain is part of the Snowy River catchment and so should be protected for that reason alone," she said."It forms the headwaters of the Bonang River and contains giant old-growth trees, which have been identified and mapped as part of a community-supported "Valley of the Giants" walking track. Many Victorians will have walked parts of Brown Mountain and have seen the magnificent trees for themselves."

"The government says it wants to deliver a 5,000 ha link between the Snowy and Errinundra National Parks. Brown Mountain is a vital part of this link," she said.

"It's not good enough for the Premier to claim he can't do anything. This forest is owned by the Victorian people. The logging contractors must be removed immediately and the area included for protection when the government (finally) delivers on it's 2006 election promise to protect 40,000 ha of old-growth and iconic forests in East Gippsland," she said.

Background: This area contains three highly contentious areas of forest known as coupes (840-502-0015, 840-502-0019, 840-502-0020) that were only added to the logging schedule in July 2007. Logging of these coupes would clearly contravene the government's commitment to protecting the last stands of old-growth forests in Victoria. Coupe 840-502-0020 is the one currently being logged.

For further comment: Sue Pennicuik – 0407 000 270,

Jeff Kennett's Legacy

Kennett's legacy to Victorians has been no Victorian on the public payroll has a secure job, their employment can disappear a the stroke of a pen.

The local council is staffed by compulsory part timers and town planners lurch from 3 month contract to 3 month contract leading to no continuity of planning decisions and less than fearless and forthright planning decisions.

Local council services for the less well off in the community are provided by part time staff so that programs for the elderly are haphazard.

Teachers can spend up to 10 years on contract applying for their job and 50 others in the area every 6 months.

Patients in private hospitals as well as public hospitals are in the tender care of nurses who were hired at the start of the shift who don't know their way around today's workplace.

Because we still have employer based superannuation schemes older workers are not able to find meaningful permanent work.

In short Kennett's reforms were a disaster for working women and state public servants in Victoria throwing them out of secure employment and forcing those who were retrenched to continue in casual work or face a poverty stricken old age.

I think the rent seekers are those leeches in the financial services sector.

Victorian Biodiversity Green Paper signals Black Day for Biodiversity

Submission in response to the Victorian Government&;s Information provided in the Green Paper highlights the rapid decline in the quality of our environment. The blame is mainly put on global warming and, thankfully, also on the government&;s persistent push for economic and human population growth. This &;growth&; will exacerbate the present decline not only in the environment but also in the future welfare of the people. It is the government&;s first duty to make sure that we can survive. This will obviously not happen if it does not change its policies. Those who make peaceful changes impossible, make violent changes inevitable! Unfortunately, no politicians have the guts to treat the population and growth issue with the seriousness it deserves. This seems to be due to political cowardice and blind obsession. Sadly, the Green Paper offers mainly band-aid solutions. Whatever the conscientious little man achieves is more than undone by the present policies of the government. Hence, we keep on losing thousands of species of plants and animals resulting in local and national extinctions. The Green Paper admits that &;This level of growth ( of human population) will necessitate the release of significant areas of new land for urban development and the building of more than 600,000 new households, as well as increasing the demand for the food, fibre and other services our ecosystems provide.&; And, &;as the population increases and economic growth continues, the demand for land and housing as well as for energy, transport and water infrastructure also grows. This inevitably places pressure on native vegetation.&; Because of the way our activities are endangering so much life on earth, we need to have a serious and honest look at ourselves and realise that, objectively speaking, we are in fact the greatest pest species on earth. In this light, it should not be difficult to see that all our environmental and social problems are directly and proportionally linked to the obsessionally driven population and economic growth rate. " id="DemocraticViewsIgnored">Democratic views ignored Community recommendations to submissions like this are mostly ignored, in violation of the democratic process.
  • Page 8 shows the bioregions of Victoria but does not show urban bioregions of urban cities and towns.
  • Pages 13 and 14 do not show when country towns ran out of water and when water restriction were implemented.
  • Page 17: Why is there no text for fig, 7, &;Summary of threatened animals in Victoria, 2007?&;
  • Page 40: 6.6, Building ecological connections is continuously ignored in outer urban areas where existing wildlife corridors are wantonly destroyed.
  • Page 46: The desperate water issue has not been sufficiently linked with population growth! The blame has been manly put on global warming and an uncertain future. Why then gamble with increasing the human population?
  • Page 52: &;While some adopt modern approaches and consider principles of sustainability and biodiversity, others are outdated and do not consider recent knowledge and threats.&; An example is the proposed Frankston Bypass where road easements were reserved in 1960, a totally outdated decision.
    There is also a constant &;nibbling&; at the Green Wedges, resulting in environmental groups suffering burnouts through constantly fighting VCAT&;S etc.
  • Page 89: Consultation paper submission raised concerns about the continuing population growth, increased resource use, urbanisation, pollution and the sea change/tree change phenomenon, which means I am not alone in highlighting the absurd and obsessed push for population and economic growth. The 2030 plan expects over one million more people in the Melbourne growth areas and another 50,000 on the Mornington Peninsula. On top of that we have an artificially created baby boom by giving $5,000.00 for every new borne baby, and added to this we allow 170,000 more migrants to come here each year.
My major concern is that the Green Paper will give people false hope. We have to realise that it is us, and rapidly more of us, that are destroying this earth by pollution and over use of resources such as fuel and water as well as destroying the environment. And, importantly, we must not blame global warming and climate change for the rapid decline in biodiversity etc., since it is also all of us who have caused it and keep on increasing it. Finally, we must still go on and do what we can to protect the species we still have but also strongly and openly protest against the &;poles apart&; policies of the Government. Hans Brunner, Wildlife Ecologist, Frankston, Melbourne Hans Brunner is an animal hair specialist who is famous for his in showing that hairs in the were dog hairs (Dingos are dogs), and who made the world news a couple of years ago through his assistance in a in Indonesia.

Short portrait of Victorian leader, Mr Brumby

Nicknamed "Benito" Brumby, by his many enemies:

"Like many of the post-Whitlam generation of Labor leaders, Brumby - and a handful of his senior ministers - share a background that could have also made them suitable preselection candidates for the Liberal Party. John Brumby, whose father owned a shoe shop, spent part of his secondary education at elite Melbourne Grammar, along with the now leader of the Opposition, Ted Baillieu, before studying commerce at Melbourne University." (The Financial Review (Tuesday 6 May 2008) p. 60)

What an epitaph for a Labor leader.

Australia is becoming more and more like George Orwell's Animal Farm every day.

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