Nick Croggon's blog

The Victorian Government has proposed a Bill to change Victoria's logging laws. The Bill is called the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Amendment Bill 2013.
We are hugely concerned by the Bill, and what it means for the future of Victoria's forests - and we think you should be concerned too.

The EDO recently acted in a case about a proposed new development near the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands. The hearing raised important questions about the role of the environment in planning.  When planning our suburbs, how much do we value our important environmental features? Should we develop land wherever it is possible, or should we save some bits to protect what is environmentally important?

Last Friday the Federal Court added its voice to the continuing alpine grazing saga - it handed down its decision on whether Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke's rejection of the trial was valid.  Justice Susan Kenny of the Federal Court found that it most definitely was. 

Major developments - whether they be new roads or ports, or new open cut coal mines - can have serious impacts on our environment.  Fortunately, nationally important environmental features, like the Great Barrier Reef, or nationally threatened species, are protected by Federal environmental laws, and the Federal government assesses major projects to ensure that they don't destroy or significant

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has handed down its decision in Lisa Caripis v Victoria Police, an important case about protesters and their rights to privacy.  

The Environment Defenders Office is representing a small environment group, Friends of the Surry, in an upcoming VCAT hearing on 8 October.  The case is about protecting our coast from bad planning decisions.