2021-09-08
The Victorian Greens have urged the state government to follow WA’s lead and end native forest logging by 2025, rather than in ten years as initially planned.
The WA Labor Government has announced they will end native forest logging in WA by 2024, but Victoria still has plans to log and burn our native forests until 2030, an industry that actually costs taxpayers money.
Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell, said by following in WA’s footsteps and bringing an end to native forest logging sooner, the government could help to protect our precious environment, save money, and preserve vital habitat for wildlife.
An independent costing obtained by the Greens last year found that by putting an end to native forest logging now, the state government would save $191.9 million dollars by 2030.
This saving includes fast-tracking the $120 million industry transition package to ensure loggers and industry are well looked after now.
Ms Sandell said last year’s bushfires fundamentally changed Victoria’s forests, killing hundreds of millions of animals, and that the state government was ignoring the alarm bells and pushing animals and plants to the brink of extinction.
Quotes attributable to Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell MP:
"The WA Government has announced they will end logging in WA to protect threatened species, but the Victorian Labor Government wants to keep logging and burning our precious forests for another ten years!
“Victoria should follow WA's lead and end logging now, or we risk pushing even more species to the brink of extinction."