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.

Federal court rules on Possums Appeal

May 31, 2021

Statement in support of the Rights of Nature

December 27, 2020

A huge thank you from our forests

November 17, 2020

Update on our forest cases

September 25, 2020

Possum magic could fell an industry

September 21, 2020

A win for our forests and threatened species

January 31, 2020

The next 6 months are crucial for our threatened species

December 20, 2019

Nature protection under review

November 29, 2019

The Victorian Government announces an end to native timber logging

November 29, 2019

Forests: news and media

ForestsMedia releases
June 3, 2021

Federal Court orders VicForests to pay costs in Possums Case, reiterating multiple breaches of Victorian environment law

MEDIA RELEASE Federal Court orders VicForests to pay costs in Possums Case, reiterating multiple breaches of Victorian environment law Today, the Full Federal Court ordered VicForests to pay the costs…
ForestsMedia releases
May 10, 2021

Landmark Federal Court win in Possums Case overturned on basis that logging remains exempt from federal environment laws

MEDIA RELEASE  Today, the full bench of the Federal Court overturned the landmark win in the Possums Case on one ground, on the basis that logging has a wide exemption from federal environment law…
CasesForestsMedia releases
April 9, 2021

Fate of Australia’s native forests hinged on Federal Court appeal next week

MEDIA RELEASE  A historic victory for Australia’s native forests and threatened species is being challenged in the Federal Court next week, with an appeal outcome set to change the fate of logging in…
BiodiversityForestsMedia releases
August 21, 2020

Federal Court’s final orders in landmark legal win protect forests home to threatened possums from logging 

Federal Court’s final orders in landmark legal win protect forests home to threatened possums from logging  The Federal Court has delivered final orders for Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum’s historic win against state logging agency, VicForests, that protects the forests subject to the…