We joined a number of environment groups to send a joint letter to newly appointed Environment Minister Ingrid Stitt to urgently act to end native forest logging in Victoria for good. Late last year VicForests lost three court cases, which found they were failing to survey for and protect wildlife like the endangered greater glider.

This was amidst months of state election campaigning supported by community groups and volunteers from across Victoria calling for immediate protection of forests in the lead up to the state election. On top of that multiple scandals were revealed by environment reporters, from the release of our forest carbon report revealing the dirty emissions of the logging industry, to continued logging of old growth forests, and a whopping $54 million dollar financial loss shown in VicForests annual report released late last year.

There has never been a better, or more urgent time for the state government to act to end logging and protect forests for good.

You can take action and contact the new environment minister. Let her know Victorians expect the government to rapidly transition away from native forest logging now.

Take action and call on federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to get rid of the devastating Regional Forest Agreements

What are the Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs)?

The RFAs are long standing agreements between state and federal government's which give logging a special exemption from complying with federal environment laws - the Environment Protection, Conservation and Biodiversity Act (EPBC Act).

It's the only extractive industry which is given this special exemption - even mining and development projects need to comply with national environment standards - but not native forest logging! Logging is making forests more flammable, putting regional communities at risk. Plus, native forests store centuries worth of safe carbon. Protecting forests is one of the best ways to tackle climate change.

Under the RFAs forests and wildlife have been pushed to the brink of collapse.

The appointment of a new federal environment minister presents an important opportunity - the new Albanese government must abolish these dodgy agreements once and for all, and put in place better protections for wildlife and forests being driven to extinction by logging.

Wildlife like the Greater Glider (recently listed as endangered!), and the critically endangered Leadbeater's Possum desperately need better protections.

You can call on the federal government to take action now - for forests, climate, wildlife, and safety against bushfires.