Bushfires: Victorian Supreme Court orders logging halt for threatened animal species

A wildlife protection group has argued that threatened species needed to be protected following the devastating bushfires.

The Victorian Supreme Court has ordered a halt to logging in parts of eastern Victoria after a wildlife protection group argued that threatened species needed to be protected following the devastating bushfires.

Wildlife of the Central Highlands (WOTCH) said fires in East Gippsland had affected the habitats of threatened species including the greater glider, powerful owl, sooty owl and smoky mouse, and VicForests was logging or about to start logging in 10 coupes that contained the animals species or their habitats.

WOTCH said this was a breach of the code of practice for timber production and VicForests was operating without waiting for the results of state and federal bushfire biodiversity responses.

It argued that VicForests had failed to develop and implement harvesting prescriptions to protect fire-affected threatened species, wherever practical.

WOTCH is seeking a declaration that it is unlawful for Vic­Forests to log in any coupe known to contain a threatened species ­affected by the bushfires or their habitat until the state and federal responses were complete and VicForests has a regulations to protect the species.

VicForests said the conservationists’ application was an ­attempt to use legal process to achieve a political outcome.

In her reasons for granting an interim injunction judge Kate ­McMillan rejected VicForests’ submission that it was a question of government policy, not a justiciable matter for the court.

She said WOTCH had established there was a real threat of ­serious or irreversible damage to the species and their habitat if harvesting operations continued in the three coupes being logged.

“The recent bushfires have caused extensive environmental damage, the severity of which is only beginning to be understood,” she said. “The court is satisfied the balance of convenience favours the grant of an interim injunction.”

Premier Daniel Andrews has previously said fires destroyed 40 per cent of areas approved for native logging in East Gippsland.

The case will have a full hearing on February 18.