In court to keep our forests standing

EJA's formidable forest litigators kept the bulldozers out of Victoria's native forests

Despite the catastrophic 2019-20 bushfires wiping out vast swathes of forest and countless precious wildlife, logging continued across Victoria.

Across three complex and lengthy court cases against VicForests, EJA lawyers protected our native forests and the wildlife that call them the home.

Together these cases – and those run by our friends – set critical court precedents. Together, they protected thousands of hectares of forest and were instrumental in the government's decision to end native forest logging.

Highlights

What happened next

In May 2023, the Victorian government announced the end of native forest logging in Victoria. This means the right to log 1.8 million hectares of land will be taken off VicForests.

The government acknowledged that along with unprecedented bushfires, court cases against VicForests by community groups and environmental lawyers were a key factor in the decision to bring forward the end of native forest logging.

While the cases were being heard, injunctions halted logging operations in large swathes of East Gippsland and the Central Highlands. Our landmark forest court cases exposed wrongdoing and set important precedents. As a result, many of Victoria's native forests are still standing.

Our friends at Environment East Gippsland, Gippsland Environment Group, Kinglake Friends of the Forest and Warburton Environment also ran important court cases that set critical court precedents, protected thousands of hectares of forest and were instrumental in the government's decision to end native forest logging.

Thanks also to the courageous Traditional Custodians, campaigners and citizen scientists who have defended Victoria's forests and wildlife for decades.

Our work together protecting Victoria's native forests is not over. We will continue to collaborate, litigate and advocate for permanent protection to keep our forests standing for generations to come.

The latest from our work protecting Victoria's forests

“When governments fail to protect our threatened species, it falls to community groups and public interest lawyers to hold them to account in court.

As the extinction crisis accelerates, it’s vital that our environment laws work to protect what is left.”

— Danya Jacobs, EJA Special Counsel

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work. We pay respect to their Elders past and present, and pay tribute to the vital role First Nations peoples play in caring for Country across Australia.

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© 2023 Environmental Justice Australia. ABN: 74 052 124 375 | Endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient. Donations of $2 or more to EJA are tax deductible in Australia. Authorised by Nicola Rivers and Elizabeth McKinnon, EJA, Level 3, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, Vic, 3053.