Thanks!
Now will you supercharge your impact by donating to protect our forests?
These draconian forest protest laws have to go!
Right now, nine community groups are in court challenging VicForests for illegally logging our forests.
But instead of regulating the logging industry and cracking down on illegal logging, the Andrews Government is trying to introduce extraordinary penalties and possible jail time to stop concerned citizens from protesting or challenging logging.
Our climate and vital ecosystems are collapsing before our eyes and people who understand this cannot stay silent.
Will you make a tax-deductible donation today to support a dedicated team of lawyers to stop these alarming new laws? With your help, we can:
- Defend the right to stand up for the forests and wildlife we love
- Empower communities that bear the brunt of environmental harms with legal and advocacy support
- Build public pressure with advocacy campaigns that harness communities’ growing demand for action on our extinction and climate crises.
Thank you for giving generously.
The right to protest and challenge poor decisions by corporations and government is critical.
As lawyers, we can use the law to stop logging as the bulldozers move in. But sometimes, when protection of forests is urgent, brave people play an important role in standing between forests and those bulldozers.
We are concerned these fines and potential jail time could impact the citizen scientists conducting wildlife surveys and collecting evidence to challenge logging operations.
We know VicForests is defending nine legal challenges to native forest logging, brought by communities on the ground. Many of these cases are reliant on the evidence brought by these citizen scientists.
Similar laws have been attempted in Tasmania, only to be knocked down in the High Court, which shows that with enough support, these laws can be blocked.
These forests are our carbon stores, the source of our drinking water, and vital habitat to precious wildlife.
With over 2,000 species now on our state’s threatened species list, our governments should be doing all they can to protect our precious forests.
Thank you for standing up our forest and all of the communities and creatures that call them home.
