Like many of you who contacted me, I was appalled to learn that logging has recommenced in state forests that provide critical refuges for threatened species impacted by the disastrous bushfires.

Over five million hectares of land burned and over a billion insects were killed.

The fires reduced, fragmented and isolated native habitat making survival for remaining fauna challenging. Yet the government has adopted a business as usual approach to deforestation with logging operations recommencing and even plans to extend logging into previously protected old growth forests advancing.

Our environment will only survive the aftermath of the fires if it is given the chance to recover without disturbance. In Parliament I called for a halt to logging until a comprehensive reassessment on its potential impacts on the state’s threatened species following the fires is conducted. I also called for a permanent ban on the logging of old growth forests. There are a number of industries the government could promote in these regions to ensure forestry workers can transition to other jobs. 

Logging forests is unsustainable and has long term ramifications for biodiversity and our future. I encourage you to support the Nature Conservation Council campaign HERE. My speech is HERE