On the first sitting day of state parliament for 2023, community members will gather outside parliament house to urge the Andrews government to ensure an immediate end to native forest logging across the state. Minister Stitt has a real opportunity to listen to the overwhelming community support for the protection and restoration of forests; for climate, habitat and First Nations justice.
Alana Mountain, Forest campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth said:
"With a new environment minister, now is the perfect time to end native forest logging. The government has a real opportunity to support regional workers and communities to exit logging and flourish in other sustainable industries. "VicForests lost their social license long ago. Continual community initiated court cases have demonstrated their blatant mismanagement of our forests. "Victorian taxpayers no longer want to see millions of dollars wasted on propping up an industry which is destroying critical carbon sinks and habitat for threatened and endangered species. "A world of opportunity awaits us beyond logging. Minister Stitt needs to do the right thing and end logging so that she can focus on other important environmental issues".
Tuffy Morwitzer from Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO) said
"We need to move beyond extraction to a model of care which supports both communities and ecosystems. As we experience growing climate crises, we need to work with the environment, not against it. We must end logging now."
Sue McKinnon, Kinglake Friends of the Forest said
"We have to face up to climate change, and the desperate need to keep carbon in the ground and in our incredibly carbon dense native forests. We have to stop driving species to extinction and become sustainable rather than just throwing that word around".
Amy Calton from Wombat Action Group said
"In June 2021, Wombat State Forest in Central Victoria was hit by a severe wind storm. Vicforests' response to this natural disaster has been nothing short of an opportunistic log grab at the expense of a forest which is promised to be declared as National Park. As parliament recommences for 2023, ending the exploitation of community, country and climate by the logging industry must be a priority".
Details on the rally
February 07, 2023 at 10:00am - 11:30am
Victorian Parliament Parliament House Spring Street
