New Forest Act introduced into Parliament

Amendments to the Forest Act were introduced to the Victorian Upper House in the last week of the 2002 autumn session by Carlo Furletti, of the Liberal Party.

Teachers for Forests - Opinion:

These amendments seek to lock all remaining land, not in parks or permanent reserves, into wood and wood fiber production. It also proposes new fines for forest protestors or forest protest organisers of $1000s of dollars and possible jail terms.

The Liberal Party is seeking to:

• Lock logging into Melbourne and Geelongs', and many regional towns', water catchments,
• Continue the destruction of old growth forests, rainforests and other forests vital for the long -term survival of our plant and animal species, many of which are unnamed and undiscovered.
  -And all this simply to supply companies with wood chips to be exported to Japan or be made into paper. - (80-90% of our forests end up as wood chips, i.e. not to supply saw-logs that can be value added in Australia to provide jobs.)
• The price received for this timber is scandalously low and is declining in competitiveness with 'whiter" timbers available from other sources.
• The low $-return goes to Australian native forest shareholders- the Public, - who should be entitled to first-hand observation of breaches of forest code of practice (at least 50 are recorded monthly at the moment), and be able to see in the most transparent way how the environmental breaches occur and to ring the alarm hopefully before irreversible and disastrous mistakes are made. After all, we only entrust the care of our state forests to government for judicious care and management for the future. We are all ultimately responsible for knowing when that care is not judicious and not likely to lead to the continued survival of the natural systems. It is the health and bio-diversity of these natural systems that are our great resource of continued clean water resources for towns and cities, the source of continuing biodiversity and for untold economic health & wealth from future scientific discoveries.
  
  This act by the Liberal Party clarifies their commitment to an anti-environmental, pro-big business stance within our forests.
  
  We urge all readers to please contact your local member of parliament and express your concern. The local member for residents of Ivanhoe, Heidelberg, Bulleen, Doncaster, and Templestowe is Mr Carlo Furletti who personally introduced this Bill. He is Deputy Leader of the Liberals in the Upper House, and represents the Upper House seat called Templestowe. He is due for re-election (or defeat) after the current 8 year term expires at the next state election which may be anytime on from October 2002. Mr. Victor Perton is the Shadow Minister for the Environment, and he represents the Lower House seat of Doncaster. His involvement in this bill is unclear. We will attempt to illicit a response for these pages. Mr. Perton will be also up for re-election (or defeat) in the next state election.

 (EDITOR)

Post script

Mr Furletti was defeated at the 2002 State Election. Mr Perton is no longer shadow minister for Environment -he is replaced by Mr Phil Honeywood in this portfolio. Mr Pertons seat was narrowly held in 2002.