VicForests trash shared heritage to make throwaway paper items, say protesters
Extinction Rebellion Australia, 17 Aug 2022
Vic Parliament rally follows a peaceful protest that stopped forestry operations on Mt Disappointment
The photo above shows drone footage of 'log landing' and the safe and careful walk-in action by 22 protesters at Mount Disappointment calling for an immediate end to native forest logging in Victoria.
The group carried banners into the forest, north of metropolitan Melbourne, calling for climate action through forest protection and supporting the right to protest. Heavy logging machinery was forced to stop work for the day. Mt Disappointment near Kinglake is one of the last forest stands close to Melbourne and is still recovering from the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires. The forest is a vital carbon sink and provides habitat for a range of fauna including koalas.
A Victorian Government Bill passed on 4 August will see fines of up to $21,000, or 12 months’ imprisonment for entering forests scheduled for logging. This will affect people peacefully protesting logging and citizen scientists surveying for threatened species.
No evidence was presented that protest activity has ever threatened the safety of forest workers. In contrast, the timber industry poses a huge threat to all our futures - killing endangered wildlife and destroying crucial carbon stores and precious native forests.
A rally was held at State Parliament the day after the forest walk-in on the first day of Victorian Parliament since Labor and the Coalition got together to pass the bill with draconian penalties for forest protectors. It was also the first day since the lifting of injunctions preventing logging on three coupes that are known to be home to endangered greater gliders, giving VicForests open slather.
Koalas and endangered species supporter Jodie - photo by Danielle Judd
XR Vic and koala friends were there to stand up for forest protectors and challenge forest destroyers Dan Andrews and Lily D'Ambrosio MP.
Koalas encounter Dan Andrews and Lily D'Ambrosio - photo by Matt Hrkac