Ask Premier John Brumby to protect our forests and our future

Example letter to Premier John Brumby

The Hon. John Brumby
Premier of Victoria
1 Treasury Place
Melbourne, Vic, 3000

Email: premier@dpc.vic.gov.au

Dear Premier,

Victoria's forests are amongst the most carbon dense on the planet. Logging our native forests causes massive carbon emissions and reduces the carbon carrying capacity of our forests.

Climate changes is having an impact on the severity and frequency of drought conditions. You have personally said that climate change is the defining issue of our era.

All Victorians will be severely impacted by climate change - on our farms, in our cities, in our towns and rural communities. Our already endangered wildlife will be pushed further to the brink of extinction if we do not act now.

One of the quickest, cheapest and most effective things we can do to tackle climage change is protect our native forests. If we continue to allow industrial logging in our native forests, we reduce the carbon stored in them, and compromise their capacity to pull carbon out of the atmosphere. This severely undermines all of our efforts to combat climate change. This is no longer about jobs versus the environment - we can, and must, have both. We must secure jobs in Victoria's vast plantation estate, and once and for all protect our native forests for their carbon, water and biodiversity values.

You have a choice - either continue selling off our carbon stores for $8.54 per tonne to protect woodchip company profits, or act - like you said you would do whilst in opposition - to protect our forests and our future.

For the sake of future generations, I urge you to show leadership on climate change and act to protect our native forests.

Other points to add

• Stop logging Melbourne and our regional water catchments. Add Armstrong, Cement and Thomson River catchments to existing National Parks
• Fulfil your commitment at the 2006 state election and immediately protect East Gippsland's old growth forests. Woodchipping continues in these carbon dense forests
• Complete Action Statements for Myrtle Wilt and Cool Temperate Rainforest under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. Protect rainforest from logging by implementing 250-350 metre buffers between rainforest and logging areas
• Support our local communities and help invest in alternative industries to native forest logging and woodchipping. Help support tree top walks, overnight walking tracks, visitor centres and Climate Centres of Expertise in our forests
• Ensure that no native forest is allowed to be burned for power
  

Other people to send your letter to

• Gavin Jennings, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Innovation
  Level 22, 50 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, 3000.
  Email: gavin.jennings@parliament.vic.gov.au
  
  
• Ted Baillieu, Leader of the Opposition
  Parliament House, Spring St, East Melbourne 3002
  Email: ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au
  
  
• Ben Hardman, Member for Seymour
  PO Box 145, Seymour. Victoria 3661.
  Email: benedict.hardman@parliament.vic.gov.au
  
  
• Christine Fyffe, Member for Evelyn
  15 Hutchinson Street, Lilydale. Victoria 3140.
  Email: christine.fyffe@parliament.vic.gov.au