Hancock VIctorian Plantations take council to VCAT to keep forest plans secret.
Local conservation group, Gippsland Forest Guardians (GFG) are calling on Hancock Victorian Plantations Pty Ltd (HVP) to be open and transparent with their plans for forestry on our Crown land.
Under Freedom of Information laws the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner decided in favour of releasing the Fellas Coupe Timber Harvest Plan to the Gippsland Forest Guardians but HVP have now appealed to VCAT to stop the release of the documents.
Spokesperson for GFG, Stuart Inchley said:
"We have requested the Timber Harvest Plan to see whether adequate measures have been put in place to protect endangered species such as the critically endangered Slender Tree-fern and areas of cool temperate rainforest. We are also interested to learn what surveying has been done to identify other threatened species such as the Strzelecki burrowing crayfish, Pilotbird, Gang-gang cockatoo and Powerful owl, some of the threatened species recorded in the area."
He added:
"HVP are operating on our Crown land in this coupe and management decisions made by HVP today could negatively affect our region's biodiversity forever. We believe the community has a right to know what is being planned for our public land."
Timber harvest plans are required to be submitted to local council who are responsible for regulating plantations and ensuring forestry operations comply with the timber code of practice.
The code states that a timber harvest plan must include details such as biodiversity impact, mapping of high conservation areas, measures to protect relevant environmental and cultural heritage values, and methods to minimise impacts on water quality and river health from timber harvesting.
Stuart added:
"The Gippsland Forest Guardians are seeking to see the plan to ensure these protections are being adequately addressed. We believe there should be transparency around forestry on our Crown land."
South Gippsland Shire Council CEO Kerryn Ellis said,
"While I am regretfully not able to comment in detail on the specifics of this matter as it is the subject of current legal proceedings, Council remains committed to protecting our natural environment through the avenues at our disposal".
Anthony Amis from Friend of the Earth said:
"This decision will be an important one for other community and conservation groups who are looking to get access to information about forestry operating on our public land. It should not have to come to this. HVP are supposedly certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, who like to boast that certified forests are managed to strict environmental and social standards. This dispute proves that the complete opposite is true."
The Gippsland Forest Guardians have been joined as a party by VCAT in order to support the Information Commissioners decision to release the document. The directions hearing is being held on November the 7th.
