The dominoes are falling; first WA and now Victoria – Tasmania, Queensland and NSW must be next.
“It is an historic and great day for Victoria. We send huge congratulations to the forest activists who, over decades, have made this happen. Fifty years after woodchipping drove a massive nationwide assault on native forests, Premier Andrews has brought it to an end,” Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.
“But Australia’s threatened species and carbon-dense forests will not be safe until the Premiers of Tasmania, Queensland and NSW do the same. Premiers Rockliff, Palaszczuk and Minns must follow Premier Andrew’s leadership and protect native forests. Every day that native forest logging continues, habitat for critically endangered species is destroyed, fire risk increases and carbon is released into the atmosphere. 2023 is the year that native forest logging must end in Tasmania, Queensland and NSW,” Jenny Weber said.
“Climate and biodiversity are two sides of the same coin. Protecting native forests is a priority climate action. Leaving forests intact improves forest resilience in the face of wildfire and maintains a vital carbon store,” Christine Milne said.
“Not only that, for our survival and the survival of many rare and endangered species like the Swift Parrots, Koalas, Masked Owls, and Gliders, native forest logging needs to cease and cease this year, as it will in Victoria,” Christine Milne said.
“BBF also calls for Victoria’s anti-democratic, anti-protest laws to now be repealed. It was a desperate effort by the Andrews Government to protect the logging industry and now they serve no purpose except to highlight just how far governments are prepared to go to protect industries destroying the planet,” Christine Milne said.