MyEnvironment

Measures are now in front of parliament to allow logging contracts to be signed up to 20 years and give the state-owned timber company VicForests more control over when and where to log.

The Leadbeater's Possum is a nationally threatened species.  II has been estimated that as few as 1,500 of these possums are left in the world. 

Like Lemmings jumping off the cliff towards deliberate mass suicide when their populations explode, VicForests are programmed for destruction.

http://www.demotivationalposters.net/image/demotivational-poster/0905/lemmings-lemmings-retards-chuck-norris-demotivational-poster-1243451350.jpg

The Age: Is it too little and too late to save the leadbeaters possum

Ironically, the future of endangered Leadbeater's possum in hands of new government taskforce headed by Association of Forest Industries and Zoos Victoria. This does not sound like an independent or promising compromise. It puts the future of the threatened Leadbeaters Possums not in the hands of conservationists, but the industry that wants to wipe them out by destroying their homes – Victoria's Central Highlands Mountain Ash forests. It's like giving the Fox the responsibility of “caring” for the chickens!

It's been criticized as yet another committee when there is already a scientific recovery team dedicated to saving it. Any captive breeding programs to increase the numbers would mean they inevitably would be condemned to being permanently captivity unless there was viable habitats – old growth forests that take up to 100 years to grow and create holes for their homes.

The Age: Loggers to help save possums

It's an oxymoron, an alliance that's hard to give credibility to, considering their interests in anhilating the mammals to pave the way to access more timber for logging!

The Leadbeater's Possum is a nationally threatened species.  It has been estimated that as few as 1,500 of these possums are left in the world.  In 2009, around half of their habitat and their population was wiped out by the bushfire inferno that swept through Victoria.  The remaining Possums live in Victoria's Central Highlands forests,. but is one of the areas where logging is carried out by Victoria's State logging agency, VicForests.

Supreme Court Appeal - 24th June 2013

In 2011, MyEnvironment brought proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court seeking orders that VicForests be prevented from logging three coupes in Toolangi, near Healesville. The hearing, the leading expert on Leadbeater's Possum, Professor David Lindemayer, gave evidence that the coupes concerned were habitat for the Possum.

The Court ultimately found that the legal prescriptions in place did not protect the Toolangi coupes, and VicForests was permitted to chop them down. 

MyEnvironment have now appealed this decision to the Court of Appeal.  The Court of Appeal will decide whether the Supreme Court's decision that the Toolangi coupes are not protected from logging is correct.

Recently, Leadbeater experts have taken the extraordinary step of coming forward to warn that the Leadbeater Possum faces a very real threat of extinction in the near future, a threat which is increased by logging.

In a letter published in the journal Science, two conservation scientists have accused the Victorian Government of taking calculated actions to substantially reduce the viability of the endangered species.

One of the scientists, Australian National University ecologist Professor Lindenmayer, has studied the Leadbeater's possum and its habitat for more than 30 years.

Professors David Lindenmayer and Hugh Possingham say, "Government-sanctioned legal logging of the reserve system will significantly increase the chance of extinction of Leadbeater's possum. To the best of our knowledge, and despite state and national threatened species legislation, this is the first time an Australian government has taken calculated actions to substantially reduce the viability of an IUCN-listed endangered species with full knowledge of the likely consequences."

Victorian Governmnet knowingly driving Leadbeaters Possums to extinction

Actually it's not the only case of government taking calculated action towards increasing the threats to already threatened species. Agriculture, industries, infrastructure and urban sprawl are continually pushing threatened species towards extinction through habitat loss, pollution and destruction. The aim of perpetual economic-growth means whittling away our natural resources and heritage, and can't be sustained. It's incremental consumption and destruction of living ecological systems means that the threats our fauna and fauna, and even world heritage areas, are never safe from developments and industries.

Victoria's state-owned timber company will reduce logging by 25 per cent in the bushfire-ravaged mountain ash forests of the central highlands – but will wait until mid-2017 to make the shift.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs – VicForests

VicForests' director of corporate affairs, Nathan Trushell, said the move, to reduce logging by 25% in the Central highlands, would result in the loss of up to 200 jobs. The decision to wait until 2017 to reduce logging had been made to allow the broader industry time to adjust, Mr Trushell said. Ironically, VicForests will continue their destruction even to the point that their own industry will be forced to face “extinction” in the future.

Jobs are temporary anyway, but our environment and living species live in the long term. People can retrain and relocate, but not threatened communities.

Victorian forests in the hands of the Victorian government means that our forests are under threat from their vested interests in VicForests' timber profits. That a threatened species will be deliberately driven to extinction means that the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act is pure political spin of no substance.

There's no "balance" between the social, economic and environmental of logging native forests - as VicForests claim. They are being logged faster than old growth forests can recover. There's no social benefits either if heritage native forests are destroyed, historic central highland communities are devastated, and Victoria's faunal emblem ends up joining other extinct species on museum shelves. Ironically, they have come to the end of the line with regards to economic benefits too if VicForests are logging Victoria's sawlog forests out of existence.

Lemmings

Like Lemmings jumping off the cliff towards deliberate mass suicide when their populations explode, VicForests are programmed for destruction. Despite a small concession, they will continue their logging vandalism, consuming the homes of iconic native species, destroying important rain-catchment areas, even if their activities are to their own detriment by making their own industry "extinct"!

Unfortunately our government's enthusiasm of ensuring “jobs” for logging contractors will swallow tracts of rain catchment areas, iconic native species and the integrity of native forests – strongholds of conservation and our ecological heritage.

The decline in Mountain Ash forests not only hurts Leadbeater's, but also a range of key species such as the Sooty Owl or Spot-tailed Quoll, whose protection should also be considered.

These elusive and endearing iconic possums, so small they can fit into a hand, have become pivotal and representative of the conflict between jobs, profits, government power, the demand for natural resources, protecting the heritage and biodiversity that belongs to all generations and species, and the moral and ethical duty of care to conserve native species and their vital habitats.

Petition : Defer the Bill that would lock in long term native forests logging

VicForests argued on Tues – day 2, that the economic case for continuing the logging of endangered species’ habitat outweighs the precautionary principle. In effect, they are saying, jobs are more important than species and ecosystems. The anticipated costs of the case have ballooned due to the necessity to respond to VicForests’ economics argument and other unexpected costs including increased transcript costs because VicForests have requested real time electronic recording of witnesses. Of course, they have access to government funding.

New environmental case could save 162 coupes

On Monday, 6th February, one of the most significant court case ever undertaken on the conservation of Victoria’s threatened fauna commenced in the Supreme Court. The case is testing whether the logging operations of VicForests are in compliance with state laws, focusing on three coupes in Toolangi State Forest, around 80 kms. north-east of Melbourne.

However, VicForests argued on Tues – day 2, that the economic case for continuing the logging of endangered species’ habitat outweighs the precautionary principle. In effect, they are saying, jobs are more important than species and ecosystems.

VicForests have stated that if they can't log these three coupes, then they can't log 162 coupes in the Central Highlands Ash forests - And thousands of jobs will be lost, 150 fire fighters gone and millions of dollars lost to the state. They have threatened that if the precautionary principle is to be applied that it will shut down the industry.

These forests and their animals survived Black Saturday

After Black Saturday and decades of industrial logging, the unburned remnant Ash forests now contain what is left of Melbourne’s water supply and the last viable population of the endangered Leadbeater’s Possum (along with a host of other threatened flora and fauna). MyEnvironment has engaged two expert witnesses of unimpeachable authority, Dr Judith Ajani on the economics and Professor David Lindenmayer on the ecological values of our forests.

VicForests balloon court costs with gov funding - environmentalists seek equity

The anticipated costs of the case have ballooned due to the necessity to respond to VicForests’ economics argument and other unexpected costs including increased transcript costs because VicForests have requested real time electronic recording of witnesses. Of course, they have access to government funding.

The Federal Minister for the Environment Tony Burke is engaged (on some level). MyEnvironment Inc. has requested federal assistance as the case fits squarely in its portfolio of responsibility.

The following information may help you understand the case and why it is so significant:

Specific Biodiversity

Leadbeater’s Possums are Victoria's faunal emblem and considered 'canary in the coal mine' species for biodiversity in Victoria’s forest water catchments. If they are tipped into extinction, it means other forest species are also tipping. This case seeks to prevent this.

The forest age class that supports hollow dependant wildlife, is the same forest that provides, and releases, massive amounts of clean drinking and irrigation water for urban and rural users. Replacing this forest with young, rapidly growing plantations would greatly reduce water production and provide no habitat for hollow-dependent species.

Protecting Melbourne's water catchment

Melbourne’s water was the subject of a 2003 World Bank and WWF report advising against further logging yet logging in water catchments continues. The government’s own studies recommended ending catchment logging by 2009 to improve water supply to Melbourne’s growing population.

Science has recognised that the world’s greatest trees are being lost to disease, climate and drought. In Victoria, we will not have any old growth Ash forests left by 2065 due to industrial logging and fires (Victorian images here). Only around 1% of the old-growth Mountain Ash forest remains in these mountains today.

VicForests already demonstrated lack of respect for law

FSC certification was removed from products coming from these forests because VicForests failed to demonstrate compliance with the principles of biodiversity management.

VicForests industry relies on funding from your taxes

The primary recipient of wood from the Central Highlands is Japanese multi-national paper producer Nippon Paper Ltd. According to the 2010 URS Treasury report, Nippon does not pay full costs of production so tax-payers are subsidising the wood stream.

Victoria has legislated to guarantee wood to Nippon so the state government, in a bid to access new resources, are now planning to log parks, water catchments and special protection zones to fulfill the contract.

Breech of Federal laws and United Nations agreements

The message being sent to other countries is that it's acceptable to log reserves. In effect, Victoria is in breach of both Federal laws and United Nations agreements.

The end of native forest logging in Victoria would also hasten the collapse of Gunns’ Tasmanian Pulp mill. The Heyfield Mill sale by Gunns will supply funds to support the Pulp Mill proposal. If Victorian Ash forests cannot be logged, Heyfield will not be commercial and Gunns will be forced to liquidate it. (we have heard that the Mill sale has fallen through and Gunns may have suspended trading because of this)

Economics is a subset of Environment, not the other way round

Vicforests argue that they should be allowed to log habitat to keep the industry alive while Scott Gentle ex-CEO Victorian Forestry Contractors Association says the industry is a basket case. The haulers say "it could be better run by a kindergarten" and contractors like Mick McKinnell say that the transition to plantations is inevitable. 7.30 ABC Report

Baylieu Government proposes increased support for archaic and destructive industry

Whilst resource mapping shows that little is left outside special protection zones and buffer strips containing endangered species, the Baillieu/Ryan government is proposing 20 year contracts to guarantee industry stability and underwrite VicForests when commitments can no longer be met. These contracts will need to be paid out when the resource is exhausted so it's a quick return for opportunistic investors.

In contravention of our own national competition economics policies

This is total mismanagement in contravention of national competition policy under which a government business enterprise must not be given any commercial advantage. A story from The Age on the state of the industry can be seen at the link.

Unfair

David and Goliath: VicForests have access to millions of taxpayer dollars and a team of 7 lawyers in court - we have 3.

We are just a small group of volunteers with a first-hand understanding of the issues, dedication and determination to save what remains after the Black Saturday bushfires. Over the last decade we have witnessed massive destruction of critical ecosystems and we need to tell our story.

A chance to end native forest logging in Victoria!

VicForests are saying that if the judge awards in our favour, this case will end native forest logging in Victoria. Please push this out to your friends and members. We have to raise three times more than we have. Donate here Please. The flow on effect of this case is already being measured in Gunns' business and will affect East Gippsland's forest too.

Injunction extended

The Supreme Court 19th September extended the injunction to stop logging in Sylvia Creek forest near Toolangi after VicForests agreed to the moratorium.

MyEnvironment - Toolangi forest logging halted until 2012

The Department of Sustainability and Environment predictably dismissed concerns of conservationists by saying that there was no sign of live possums in the Sylvia Creek coupe at Toolangi, and that it did not meet the legal criteria of prime possum habitat.

Both statements reek of dispassionate recklessness.  These possums are tiny, nocturnal, in small numbers, and they live in holes in trees that are up to 50 meters tall. 

No confidence in VicForests
The public can have no confidence in the surveys done by VicForests as they were not supported by those carried out by expert ecologists and biologists.   Government departments are incapable of assessing the effect of logging on endangered species as their interests are primarily economic. 

Trashing the environment for short-term woodchip profits transforms areas rich in biodiversity into clear-felled wastelands that take decades to recover. 

Over half of the Leadbeater's possums' habitat was destroyed by Black Saturday, and the BAER (Burnt Area Emergency Response)  team recommended that this area not be logged, yet it continued.   Habitats of listed threatened species were logged. 

According to research published in US journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the old-growth is nearly gone and on the verge of being unrecoverable. The Age

We are having our ecological and environmental assets stripped from the integrity of Victoria and from the people who need our life-supporting biological services. All species keep our ecological systems working, and they all have a role to play.

VicForests are losing money and taxpayers are subsidizing these losses. It's to keep fat-cat jobs in Parliament. Most of these trees goes to woodchips, not fine furniture.

The Tasmanian government seems to be accepting it's time to get clear-felling out of native forests. Their agreement is designed to see an end to large scale native forest logging and create more than 400,000 hectares of new informal reserves.

Now the Victorian government must do the same and place the intrinsic value of native forests and biodiversity, especially our threatened Leadbeater's Possum and other species, over the economic benefits of office paper.

It's a case of being in denial, of conflicting interests, and of not finding the facts, or evidence of threatened species, that they don't want to find.

The court extended an injunction blocking logging until next February, when it will revisit the matter.

David Walsh of VicForests arrogantly said that VicForests has chosen not to challenge the interim injunction at this stage of the game to allow this matter to be fully resolved at a trial as quickly as possible.

Really?