The Victorian Greens have called on the Victorian Labor Government to immediately stop 'salvage' logging the future Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, saying current works are undermining the state's ban on native forest logging.
Commercial-scale native forest logging in Victoria officially ended in January, and the closure of smaller-scale 'community forests' was brought forward to Monday 5 February. However, VicForests are still currently removing large logs from the Wombat State Forest.
Although this timber has been taken under the guise of debris clean-up, aka 'salvage logging', it is then allegedly sold on under the banner of Forest Fire Management Victoria.
The Greens argue that instead of continuing to log by stealth, the Victorian Labor Government should fast-track the declaration of the promised new national parks and focus on retraining workers to help regenerate and manage forests.
In 2021, the Labor Government committed to create new national parks in the central west area, including the Wombat State Forest. Yet this promise is yet to be delivered, and now these forests are being degraded through logging.
Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell, applauded the Labor Government for officially ending native forest logging this year, following sustained pressure from environmental advocates, community members and the Greens.
However, she said Labor's continued logging by stealth, which destroys precious habitat, undermines Labor's environmental credentials.
As stated by Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell MP:
"Labor is allowing logging by 'stealth', under the guise of storm clean-up or debris removal. But we need to call this what it is: destroying precious habitat for our threatened species.
"While the Greens applaud Labor's decision this year to end both the commercial and community logging of native forests, we're deeply concerned that Labor has simply sent the logging machines right back into the future Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, and are logging by stealth and then selling these logs for wood chips.
"Labor must urgently fast-track the process to create the new Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, and ensure no emergency works in native forests are used for commercial logging purposes."
