EJA welcomes the Victorian State Government’s commitment to “deliver the largest expansion to our public forests reserve system in our state’s history”. In the Second Reading Speech to the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Repeal Bill 2024 (Vic), the Hon. Minister Dimopoulos confirmed that the end of native forest logging in Victoria “creates significant opportunities to maintain resilient, healthy forests, advance Traditional Owner self-determination in land and fire management, and achieve environmentally sensitive economic development and employment from Victoria’s forest estate.
We urge the Great Outdoors Taskforce to make recommendations that support the Victorian Government to deliver on its commitments and ensure the long-term protection of state forests in the East Gippsland, Gippsland and North East forest regions against industrial logging and mining.