Vic Coalition promises to end green lawfare against native forest logging

Anti-logging activists are exploiting a legislative loophole to launch a barrage of court cases that have crippled timber communities.

Timber communities are already being locked out of forests, long before the Andrews Government’s 2030 deadline ending native forest harvesting.

The Victorian Liberal-Nationals Coalition leadership team is drafting legislation to block anti-logging activists using the courts to delay or halt native timber harvesting.

Former harvest and haulage contractor and Coalition assistant forestry spokesman Gary Blackwood said if they won Government on November 26 the Coalition would “take action to prevent third party litigation against VicForests”.

“Green lawfare has become an easy method for green activists to halt legitimate timber harvesting and has disrupted the livelihoods of workers and the supply chain to industries right across Victoria,” Mr Blackwood said.

VicForests, which manages harvesting, already faces 10 court actions by environmental groups, with one of those leading Supreme Court Justice Melinda Jane Richards to last month slap injunctions on any coupe where a Greater Glider possum has been spotted.

Timber harvesting ground to a halt across Victoria’s Central Highlands and East Gippsland in the wake of the pre-Christmas ruling, with VicForests struggling to find backup coupes.

Justice Richards’ ruling does not require environmentalists to provide proof that they have spotted a Greater Glider in a coupe for it to be declared off limits.

At least six of Victoria’s harvest and haulage contracting crews are still out of work as a result of the ruling, while some timber mills report they are down to just one month’s supply of logs in the yard.

Mr Blackwood said the Coalition was looking at NSW legislation, which excluded third-party civil enforcement proceedings for breaches of an integrated forestry operations orders.

Victoria has similar legislation blocking the general public from taking legal action for breaches of the state’s Environmental Protection Act.

But Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio has refused appeals from Forest and Wood Communities Australia to block the public from taking legal action against VicForests under the state’s Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004 for breaches to the Code of Practice for Timber Production.

“The Andrews Labor Government does not agree that there is a ‘loophole’ in the legislation and is continually working to improve environmental standards, including the revision of the Timber Code of Practice to improve clarity and enforceability for timber workers, environmentalists, and the Conservation Regulator,” Ms D’Ambrosio’s office said.

“We also recently announced further reform to implement compliance standards to provide industry with guidance around the requirements of the precautionary principle, which has been the subject of recent court hearings.

“Establishing this clear and enforceable regulatory framework is vital for our environment, Victoria’s timber industry and forestry workers as we transition away from native timber harvesting by 2030.”

Originally published as Vic Coalition promises to end green lawfare against native forest logging