Brown Mountain to stay green after court win

Brown Mountain, home to a number of endangered species, will stay green as VicForests ordered to stop logging this crucial habitat.

Brown Mountain, home to a number of endangered species, will stay green as VicForests ordered to stop logging this crucial habitat Image: The Wilderness Society Collection

In a landmark decision the Victorian Supreme Court ruled that the state government has a responsibility to look for and protect endangered wildlife before logging.

Local environment group Environment East Gippsland (EEG) took state logging agency VicForests to court to prevent logging of the old-growth forests at Brown Mountain in the far east of the state. EEG demonstrated the gross inadequacies of Victoria’s pre-logging flora and fauna surveys, capturing video footage of the endangered Long Footed Potoroo just hours after the state government declared surveys of the area had found no threatened species and that logging could go ahead.

The court found Brown Mountain to be critical habitat for the potoroo and other threatened species, the greater gliders and yellow-bellied gliders, the spot-tailed quoll and two species of endangered frogs, the giant burrowing frog and the large brown tree frog.

The court ruled that if it had gone ahead, logging at Brown Mountain would have been unlawful because it contained habitat for endangered species.

Conservationists have brought case after case to the state government of VicForests ignoring evidence and scheduling logging in endangered species habitat.

A lack of political leadership that has meant that these issues are now being resolved in the courts. It’s time for the Brumby government to act, by protecting Victoria’s old growth forests and water catchments from logging.

Take action! 

Write to Premier Brumby, demanding he protect all old-growth forests in Victoria. Premier John Brumby,  1 Treasury Place, Melbourne Victoria 3002

Further reading

Supreme Court orders State Government to put endangered species first
In an historic win for the Victorian forest campaign, the Supreme Court has ordered a logging halt in Brown Mountain's old-growth forests in East Gippsland. More >>

Historic battle to begin
Last year, Environment East Gippsland was successful in gaining a Supreme Court injunction against VicForests' planned logging in old-growth forests at Brown Mountain. More >>

Old-growth trees logged at Brown Mountain over 500 years old
The Brumby government's 2006 policy to protect old-growth forests in East Gippsland has been put to shame by VicForests who has been caught out logging trees over 500 years old. More >>