2018-12-20
In staggering testimony yesterday, the Victorian environment department’s deputy secretary for forest, fire and regions admitted the department’s position on old-growth logging is that it should end.
“The Andrews government is defying its own environment department to allow Victoria’s old-growth forests to continue to be logged. This is a government that applauds its own action on renewable energy with one hand, while continuing to log forests and burn polluting brown coal with the other,” said Ellen Sandell, Victorian Greens environment spokesperson.
“Why isn’t the Premier listening to his own environment department?”
“Old-growth logging pushes rare and endangered animals to the brink of extinction,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens forests spokesperson and Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s animal extinction crisis.
“Old-growth logging should stop immediately, and the logging laws which allow it, the Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) should be scrapped. They are a death warrant for threatened species like Leadbeater’s Possums and Greater Gliders.”
“Daniel Andrews has the chance to turn over a new leaf. He needs to stop the games, protect our native forests and shift to 100% sustainable plantations. We’re already at 88% - it’s entirely feasible.”