East Gippsland Shire Council has approved an application for native timber harvesting and regeneration at Cabbage Tree Creek.
The application on privately-owned land follows several years of consultation between the permit applicant and the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
Mayor Cr John White said the decision was based on advice from DEECA, and the potential environmental impacts are addressed in a property vegetation plan, prepared in accordance with the Victorian Government's 'Guidelines for the Removal, Destruction and Lopping of Native Vegetation', and endorsed by DEECA.
"The timber is proposed to be harvested applying a Variable Retention Harvesting method which aims to retain and protect a broad range of forest values with a focus on high biodiversity conservation values," John said.
"Council considers that there are sufficient safeguards in place to allow the proposal to proceed."
In 2022, the Council adopted a position paper on native timber harvesting which "supports a high quality, low volume native timber harvesting industry where communities continue to thrive, forests have multiple uses, biodiversity is protected, and where harvested timber is used for the highest value purposes".
Last August, the previous Council requested the Minister for Planning to decide on the application. The Minister responded in January this year and did not agree with the request.
As there were objections to the proposal, the Council's decision may be appealed to VCAT.
