VicForests axed

STATE-OWNED logging company VicForests will cease to exist later this year, following the end of native forest logging and ongoing legal action against the company.

During a hearing in the Supreme Court on Wednesday 13 March, where community group Wombat Forestcare alleges the breaching of requirements to survey for threatened species by VicForests, the company’s legal representatives made the first mention of VicForests ceasing to exist.

A range of conservation groups, including Wombat Forestcare, have long campaigned against the company, with sixty not-for-profit groups writing an open letter to the Premier and Treasurer last October.

The groups urged the State Government to abolish VicForests, arguing it had “systematically breached the public’s trust and abjectly failed Victorians on every measure — economically, socially and environmentally”.

140 staff are employed at VicForests, with 80 roles planned to integrate into the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), following the abolition of VicForests on 30 June.

“We value the work VicForests staff have contributed to the management of our native forests, and we’ve been working closely with employees since the end of last year regarding the closure of the organisation, and to support them to transition into new roles or take a redundancy,” a Victorian Government spokesperson said.

“A range of support services are available to staff including counselling and career advice.

“Functions including forest planning, spatial mapping, seed collection and forest regeneration will transfer to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.”

Gayle Osborne from Wombat Forestcare said the abolition of VicForests was “welcome news” to the group.

“Under their management, we have seen the destruction of vast areas of Victoria’s forests with little regard for the protection of endangered flora and fauna,” she said.

“In the Wombat Forest, however, the environmentally damaging salvage logging continues under the supervision of Forest Fire Management Victoria.”

Ms Osborne also renewed calls for the State Government to establish a Wombat-Lerderderg National Park.

“The forest has conservation values that need to be protected and we ask the government why we are still waiting, three years after the announcement, for the National Park to be legislated,” she said.