The Victorian Forest Products Association (VFPA) has welcomed today’s announcement by the Victorian Government of a comprehensive review of wildlife management and protection across all land tenures.
VFPA Chief Executive Deb Kerr said “For too long wildlife and biodiversity management has been focused on the miniscule area of state forests accessed by our forest industry. In Victoria, the forest industry harvests just four out of every 10,000 trees, to produce wood products used every day in the homes and offices of Australians across the country, and for every tree harvested a tree is replanted and re-grown,
“Meanwhile, Victoria has around 4 million hectares of National Parks and reserves created specifically to deliver environmental and biodiversity outcomes. This inquiry should examine why the current management of the National Parks and reserves estate is not achieving these objectives and failing our critically endangered species.”
“Rightly Victoria’s best mechanism for the protection and conservation of biodiversity is effective management of the state’s public lands assets, however Victoria’s national parks, crown lands and other reserves have received very little active management – resulting in significant impacts to the state’s biodiversity.”
“Many farmers, land managers and regional communities complain that where these public lands are not managed sustainably, feral pests like pigs, deer, goats, cats, foxes and wild dogs are having a devastating impact on native fauna and their habitat,” concluded Ms Kerr.
The original media release is here: VFPA Media Release – Victorian Forest Products Association welcomes wildlife review