Saving Victoria’s Red Gum Forests from ‘Protection’

A campaign by the Rivers & Red Gum Environment Alliance

Max Rheese & Mark Poynter

• Victorian Environmental Assessment Council [VEAC] investigation commences in 2005

• Draft proposals paper released in July 2007• Public submissions received up to Oct 8th 2007

• Alliance formed Oct 18th 2007

• Objectives of the Alliance: - Overturn the VEAC recommendations - Present government with an alternative

Barmah State Forest, a Ramsar wetland

• Grassroots campaign involving AEF members• The Alliance gave a focal point for action• Unity of purpose• Countering ‘green’ ideology with facts and

evidence• VEAC final report released July 25th • Production of the Conservation & Community

Plan and presented to the Victorian parliament on July 31st

Gunbower Island on the Murray. Currently state forest with a Ramsar Wetland classification

Gunbower Island Ramsar classified wetland

• The ‘one size fits all’ approach to the classification of national parks as a solution to land or biodiversity challenges

• Alliance plan predicated on creating 104,000 hectares of Ramsar Reserves

Lindsay Island, in Oct 2008, part of the Murray Sunset National Park

Wallpolla Island, 20km upstream from Lindsay Island, is not a national park

Lindsay Island Oct 2008. National Park, high biodiversity protection, no active management

Wallpolla Island, state forest. Lesser legislative protection but more active management through current grazing and recent timber harvesting. Oct 2008

• Alliance briefs Labor country caucus

• Government appoints Ministerial Community Engagement panel

• National parks in the red gum forests not supported by many in the community

• Wilderness Society starts lobbying NSW Environment Minister for more red gum forest parks in NSW

Protest rally Sunday October 5th in Echuca

Alliance speakers addressing the 2000 strong crowd

The biggest rally in country Victoria for decades

Many groups in the community were represented

• Alliance will continue to try to influence the Premier to adopt the Alliance recommendation of Ramsar Reserves

• AEF has made a significant contribution to the formation and objectives of the Alliance

• Further lobbying is required to bring about a new paradigm in land management to allow for multiple use activities in some parks.