Australia’s national environment and climate groups with regional and grassroots forest organisations are meeting this week to collaborate on a national campaign to protect native forests. It comes at a critical moment, with the climate and biodiversity crises intensifying bushfires and drought, wildlife in rapid decline and growing pressure on Australia’s native forests.
Former NSW Environment Minister, Hon Bob Debus, said: “The conservation of the forests is one of the best ways we have to arrest climate change. Strong community support will be the best way to get political action.”
The Australian Conservation Foundation’s President Ros Harvey said: “Native forests stop global warming. By coming together, we’re growing a people-powered movement to protect native forests and cut climate pollution. The public wants to see an end to native forest logging, and by working together, we’ll make it happen.”
Campaigns Director at Bob Brown Foundation, Jenny Weber, said: “Native forest logging and clearing has zero social licence and it must be halted across the nation. We are united in a renewed effort to build resistance to ongoing native forest destruction. Protecting native forests is an immediate solution to ensuring water security and addressing the extinction and climate crises we all face. Nationwide, all native forests need immediate protection without compromise.”
Melanie Audrey, The Wilderness Society Biodiversity Policy Campaign Manager said: “With government failing to protect our forests, conservation organisations and grassroots groups are coming together to demand a national approach – because protecting Australia’s forests can’t be left to communities to fight one forest at a time.”
The meeting is being hosted by the Australia Institute with forest campaigners from Western Australia, ACT, Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and Qld.
The Forest Protection Principles are a shared roadmap to protect and restore Australia’s native forests. They outline a long-term vision for Australia’s forests, one where native forest logging and clearing has ended, ecosystems are restored, First Nations rights and leadership are respected, and forests are valued for the extraordinary benefits they provide to people, wildlife and the climate.
The organisations are calling for:
• An immediate end to native forest logging and clearing.
• Permanent protection of native forests nationwide.
• Strong national environment laws that safeguard forests and wildlife.
• An end to carbon and biodiversity offsets generated from public native forests.
• Climate action that protects forests rather than treating them as offsets for new fossil fuel emissions.
More than fifty environmental organisations have already committed to the principles for forest protection and more are expected. Signatories include: Australian Conservation Foundation, Wilderness Australia, Bob Brown Foundation, The Wilderness Society, Australian Climate and Forest Alliance, 350 Australia, The Australia Institute, Peoples Climate Assembly, Victorian Forest Alliance (VIC) Western Australia Forest Alliance (WA) Bellingen Environment Centre (NSW) Blicks River Guardians (NSW), Climate Justice Alliance Northern Rivers (NSW), Environment East Gippsland (VIC), Environment Centre Northern Territory (NT), Canberra Forest Alliance (ACT) Central Highlands Action Group (VIC), Climate Action Merribek (VIC), Climate Action Monaro (NSW) Darebin Climate Action Now (VIC), Friends of the Forests (Mogo), Friends of Coffs Coast Koalas, Friends of Conglomerate, Friends of Dorrigo Koalas, Friends of Kalang Headwaters, Friends of Newry, Friends of Orara, Friends of Scotchman, Friends of Tarkeeth Koalas, Friends of Tuckers Nob, Gippsland Environment Group (VIC), Hands Off Quamby Bluff (TAS), Jarrahdale Forest Protectors (WA), Lighter Footprints, Margaret River Regional Environment Centre (WA), Tasmanian Climate Collective, Tasmanian Conservation Trust, Western Australia Conservation Council, Wombat Action Group (WA), ACF Community Boroondara, ACF Community Forest Alliance Victoria.