2020-05-27
The Greens say that all native forest logging operations across Australia now face a cascade of legal challenges, after today’s Federal Court judgement showed that existing logging laws and operations are sending threatened species to the brink of extinction.
Australian Greens forests spokesperson Senator Janet Rice welcomed to this morning’s landmark Federal Court judgement on Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum Inc v VicForests saying:
“This is a hugely significant decision. It shows the provisions of our logging laws under the Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) are not working to protect threatened species.
“The federal government and state governments have long argued that logging operations were fine and legal, but this case says that VicForests’ logging operations under the Victorian Central Highlands RFA are not working to protect threatened species including Victoria’s animal emblem, the Leadbeater’s possum, and the Greater Glider.
“The judgement says that logging’s exemption from our national environmental laws (the EPBC Act) will end in a swathe of coupes in Victoria, setting a precedent which puts all other native forest logging operations on notice.
“Native forest logging cannot continue if Australia’s threatened species are going to survive.
“This is a major warning to Commonwealth and state governments who are continuing to allow destructive native forest logging, showing that they face significant legal hurdles to continuing their work.
“It’s time to get out of native forest logging now.”
The Greens have a bill in the federal parliament to scrap the Regional Forest Agreements.
The full judgement of the Federal Court can be found here online.