Forests
Environmental Justice Australia represents citizen scientists and community groups in court with cases that defend the places we love and the species that call them home.
One current Federal Court case challenges whether logging in endangered species habitat can continue to have a special exemption from federal environment protection law. Since the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) system was established in 1997, logging has pushed unique Australian species like the Swift Parrot, Leadbeater’s Possum, Greater Glider and the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo closer to extinction. Our case argues that certain past and future logging in Victoria’s Central Highlands is not exempt from the federal threatened species law because it is not in accordance with the RFA.
In another current Supreme Court case, we are seeking to ensure the Victorian government protects the minimum area of old growth forest guaranteed by law in East Gippsland and prevent state logging agency VicForests from cutting down spectacular areas of old growth forest in eastern Victoria that have never been logged.
We also represent community members who are charged criminally during peaceful protests against logging in Victoria’s native forests.