The RFPG has invited Minister D'Ambrosio to come to Alexandra to speak with the Murrindindi community about forests policy. See extract from Alexandra Standard here. 

The full text of the letter (22/7/2018) follows.

Dear Minister,

On behalf of the Rubicon Forest Protection Group I invite you to participate in a public discussion of the State Government’s forest policy and its impact on the values of the Rubicon State Forest.

The background to this invitation is as follows.

Logging in the Rubicon State Forest has accelerated in scale and intensity since the 2009 fires as we outlined to you at our meeting last year.  The Rubicon Forest Protection Group believes that the value of the Rubicon State Forest, for purposes other than wood production (including recreation, tourism and biodiversity), has been seriously compromised by accelerated logging.  Even simply in terms of wood production the current scale of harvesting is not sustainable with the remaining substantially intact areas of ’39 regrowth expected to be logged out in perhaps as little as 5 years.

The causes of this crisis have been exacerbated by the major fires of the 2000s, but have been building over many years due to past over-commitment with respect to the delivery of pulp and sawlogs and under-investment in hardwood plantations.   A critical element of this crisis is the regulatory regime, including the Central Highlands Regional Forest Agreement, the Allocation Order and the Code of Forest Practice, which have failed to limit harvesting to sustainable levels and failed to protect other values and uses of Victoria’s mountain ash forests.

We recognise that putting in place tighter limits and protections is difficult, both politically and financially. However, it is also urgent. Logging in the Snobs Creek valley is now imminent; within months we can expect the devastation which has been wrought on the Royston Range and the Rubicon Valley to be reproduced in Snobs Creek valley and across the Torbreck Range.  

Our community is divided and confused.  While there is widespread community concern regarding unsustainable logging and the damage being done to tourist development, there is also apprehension regarding the short term costs, which might be carried by local families and businesses, of a moratorium on logging in our region.

If the Murrindindi community is to contribute in the most constructive way to addressing these complex challenges we need to move beyond stereotypes and slogans. We need to work towards a shared understanding of the situation on the ground and of the different perspectives and concerns. We need to work towards a shared understanding of the policy failures and the flawed regulatory structures which have brought us to this point.  We need to work together to define and clarify the policy options and pathways.  We may not achieve consensus on immediate strategies but strengthening the information base and quality of policy debate in our community would help to create the conditions for policy reform at the government level. 

The RFPG believes that opportunities for public information and discussion are urgently needed and a well-designed and well -facilitated public meeting would contribute to meeting this need. 

We initially approached VicForests about their participating in such a public meeting but they pointed out that they are just the implementing agency and that the scale and intensity of logging in the Rubicon State Forest reflects a legislative and regulatory regime set by Government.

Accordingly we now invite you to participate in a public meeting directed to building understanding and clarifying policy options regarding the sustainable use of the Rubicon State Forest and the protection of all of the values of this forest.  We consider that such an event would be in line with your commitment to extensive consultation with scientific bodies, industry and the community to modernise the state’s RFA framework and better manage Victoria’s forests.

We envisage a chairperson of public standing and skilled in facilitation. We envisage two speakers, one of whom would be a RFPG spokesperson, the other would be yourself.  We envisage significant time for general discussion and audience participation.

We understand that you are busy so we are approaching the scheduling of this proposed public meeting quite flexibly. 

Please understand that we are asking you personally to participate in your role as a policy maker.  We would not be enthusiastic about a departmental spokesperson who would only have the authority to outline the formalised policy as it stands and not have the mandate to usefully discuss policy options.

Yours sincerely,

RFPG