MEDIA RELEASE 26 March 2018 |
Premier Daniel Andrews must immediately reject calls to open up Victoria’s national parks to logging.
“Calls by the logging industry to open up national parks for logging are completely out of step with public sentiment and would trash Victoria’s environmental record,” executive director of the Victorian National Parks Association Matt Ruchel said today.
“Premier Daniel Andrews must clearly and publicly rule out any opening up of our national parks for logging.
“National parks are the cornerstone of efforts to protect nature and ensure native species survive and thrive. They fulfil Australia’s international obligations to protect global biodiversity.
“Victoria’s national parks are conserving hundreds of threatened species and provide respite and recreation for millions of Victorians, providing key tourism attractions and generating between 14,000 and 20,000 regional jobs.
“The logging industry has mismanaged its own timber resources. Its call to open up national parks to logging would be detrimental, destructive and totally misguided.
“Regional Forest Agreements have clearly failed to protect native species and should not be rolled over or extended.”
