Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum wins injunction over timber harvesting

LOGGING in five parts of the Central Highlands has been temporarily halted by a legal challenge from an environment group.

LOGGING in five parts of the Central Highlands has been temporarily halted by a legal challenge from an environment group.

VicForests is banned from timber harvesting until at least March after the Federal Court granted an injunction until a three-week trial in February.

Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum is challenging whether logging in certain areas of the endangered species’ habitat can continue to have a special exemption from Australia’s national threatened species law.

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Logged trees in mountain ash forest in Victoria’s Central Highlands. Picture: AAP

The order protects four logging coupes and a road where the group alleges the Greater glider has been seen.

The group alleges the Victorian government’s timber operations in the Central Highlands are in breach of the Regional Forest Agreement because VicForests had not fully complied with state-based regulation.

The five affected coupes are Backdoor, Farm Spur Gum, Vice Captain, Dry Spell and Dry Creek Road.

VicForests general manager Alex Messina said he remained confident operations were compliant.

“We will defend our record and argue this matter at the full hearing next year,” he said.

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