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Several hundred people have taken to the steps of the Victorian Parliament on Saturday, as hundreds of people rally across the country to call for an end to native forest logging.
The rallies were initiated by the Bob Brown Foundation and supported by local environmental, conservation and activist groups in each location.
In a statement, the Bob Brown Foundation said “5000 people across Australia have rallied today calling for the ALP to end to native forest logging, in eight locations from Tasmania, Victoria, NSW, the ACT and Western Australia.”
“In Sydney, community members marched to Prime Minister Albanese’s office in Marrickville.”
Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said “we’re scaling up our campaign to call on Prime Minister Albanese for end to native forest logging and secure protection for Australia’s forests.
“The last three days of nationwide actions are a launching pad for our Federal Election campaign. If logging doesn’t end, we plan to continue these nationwide mass mobilisations for native forests.”
Hundreds of people take to the steps of the Victorian Parliament to demand an end to native forest logging, as part of a nationwide series of rallies. Photo: Matt Hrkac
Hundreds of people take to the steps of the Victorian Parliament to demand an end to native forest logging, as part of a nationwide series of rallies. Photo: Matt Hrkac
Among the speakers was Greens Senator for Victoria, Janet Rice, who congratulated Victorian anti logging groups for the state’s recent phasing out of most native forest logging by the end of the year.
Describing it as “a huge achievement” that, “despite some little carve outs” and “some little slippery business going on”; Rice said it’s news “absolutely worth celebrating.”
“[Our forests] are our national heritage. They’re some of the most inspiring, bio-diverse forests in the world – part of a web of life that sustains us all.”
“That reason alone is why the federal government should be acting to protect native forests.
“Ending the logging of our forests will [also] help us tackle the climate crisis.”
Victorian Forest Alliance campaign coordinator Chris Schuringa said “native forests are not only critical for native wildlife, but they’re vital carbon stores.”
“They keep us safe from the climate crisis we’re currently facing.”
“They filter our drinking water [and are] culturally and spiritually significant for First Nations people. They hold a very special place in the heart of all Victorians who experience these places so intimately.”
Victorian Forest Alliance campaign coordinator Chris Schuringa. Photo: Matt Hrkac
“After years of campaigning and successful community citizen science and legal action, in May we got a monumental announcement from the Dan Andrews government that they were going to end native forest logging in Victoria.”
“We’re beyond proud of this result and it’s a testament to the hard work of passionate community groups and forest defenders who continue to dedicate their lives to this cause.”
Describing the May announcement as “bitter sweet”, Schuringa said that the flood of relief was very real “for a lot of us”.
“The relief that we might finally see an end to the destruction came time for a reflection for all that has been lost.”
“What has also become clear is that the announcement doesn’t include important areas in Western Victoria. Around 65,000 hectors will still remain up for logging next year.”
“These areas deserve protection.”
I happen to agree with the phasing out of native forest logging but NOT for some of your reasoning. What indigenous minorities think being one those reasons and quite literally anything to do with the Australian Marxist/Communist Greens Party. I also don’t think my centrist Conservative politics would fit with yours, would it?
> Marxist/Communist Greens party
Lol what? You haven’t the foggiest of a clue what you’re talking about do you Rob? If the Greens were even half of what you cookers claim to be the case they’d actually be a party worth voting and campaigning for. Keep letting the ‘communist/Marxist’ Greens live rent free inside that conspiracy riddled head of yours though.
> “centrist conservative politics”
Lol. Lmao, even.
Eloquent reply from Mick. Model citizen award.
It’s disgraceful that native forest logging is allowed to occur in ecologically sensitive areas. Keeping in mind that pretty much all that’s extracted from native forests isn’t even used for construction (most hardwood for construction is harvested from plantations) – pretty much all of it is mulched and pulped for turning into paper, which hemp and bamboo can easily be used for (as well as construction materials for that matter). Not to mention the mess that gets left behind by loggers which dries out and becomes a major fire hazard.
Dan Andrews, the “most progressive premier in the country”, couldn’t phase out native logging completely but still spun it well enough to try and placate the various grassroots groups who’ve been throwing the state government’s own environmental laws back at them. The same government that recently introduced harsh anti protest laws to stop anti logging activists from entering logging coups.
I wouldn’t trust the ALP as far as I could throw em to do anything in good faith. Tanya has signed off on new thermal coal mines and expansions of existing mines left right and centre since taking over the environment ministry while doing happy ‘look at me’ social media to spin it as though they’re doing good on the environment when in reality they’re continuing the policies of the previous government… business as usual, but in red. The ALP conference is also a fools game as even if they vote up no new logging (or whatever else) into the party platform – the parliamentary caucus is under no obligation to actually follow through with it, they’ve often done the exact opposite.
Environment activists need to target ALP MPs as firmly and directly as they rightly did LNP MPs when they were in government and give them an absolute hiding.
can’t help but think that, outside of Tasmania, it feels like the Bob Brown Foundation is hijacking and taking credit for the successes of far more radical groups. In Vic for example the Victorian Forest Alliance (and many of its member groups) and Friends of the Earth are far more radical groupings, which don’t have completely awful politics, and have a proven track record of delivering strong outcomes for the environment through relentless campaigning and activism.
both the VFA and FOE have socialists and anarchists and other politically radical people involved in them. Bob Brown himself has a history of red baiting and pushing out politically radical people despite appearing on the surface to be a political radical himself (he’s a Liberal in Green clothing)
I agree, not a fan of Bob. Most environmentalists or activists I know who aren’t boomers or aren’t hard core Greens fans find him and his politics to be uuugh 😩😑. The bloke for most of his political career actively tried to undermine the Left within the Greens.
yes that’s it. Bob also most recently undermined (with the previous leader Richard Di Natale and his backers) the NSW Greens Left, namely Lee Rhiannon – threatening to form a breakaway party if he didn’t get his own way. A truly pathetic person