Forestry furore

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Forestry furore

THE Mirboo North community has stepped up its bid to stop logging of forest by launching the Preserve Our Forests campaign.
Three working groups have been formed to address specific areas of concern about VicForests’ proposal to log land north of the town, near Lyrebird Forest Walk.
A Campaign Strategy Planning working group will work with key stakeholders to identify relevant legislation, potential allies, and government reports. This group is also responsible for the formulation of a media campaign.
An Environment and Species working group has been formed to identify endangered and vulnerable species of flora and fauna in the coupes.
An Economy, Tourism, Employment and Community Amenity working group will focus on the effects on the local economy, jobs, tourism and associated industries/businesses.
Gippsland South MLA Danny O’Brien said he had been liaising with VicForests on behalf of the Mirboo North community and had asked VicForests to consider the community’s concerns.
“I understand it is currently doing that and has arranged a date to meet the liaison group formed out of the public meeting some weeks ago. I also raised the matter in State Parliament recently,” he said.
“I am a supporter of a sustainable timber industry. It creates jobs in Gippsland and I understand these logs, if harvested, will go to local mills including one at Yarram in my electorate.
“However I’m optimistic that VicForests will revise its plans in response to local concerns in Mirboo North.”
With much work to be done, the committee invites people with an interest, knowledge or expertise to join the Preserve Our Forests Campaign.
There are 17 members in the group so far.
“We’re very pleased to have assembled an excellent team of highly skilled people and we can also draw on an extensive network of experts from across Victoria,” co-chair Viki Sinclair said.
“On this basis, working groups were formed to address specific areas of concern.”
Vic Forests has committed to the extension of the deadline for submissions and people can still lodge their objections and comments to the Mirboo North logging coupes to email [email protected].
For more information on the Preserve Our Forests Campaign, call Marg Thomas on 0408 319 397 or Viki Sinclair on 0408 317 525.

Taking action: from left, Mirboo North Strategy Planning working group members Eric Walters from Grandridge Brewery, John Nichols, Marg Thomas, Phil Piper, Gayle Margaret, Ron Brown and Lisa Vincent discuss tactics for saving forest from logging at their first meeting recently.

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Posted by on Oct 10 2017. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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