“In my 15 years as a member of parliament I’ve never been more disgusted in a government decision than I am today,” he said. The federal MP for Gippsland, the Nationals’ Darren Chester, said it was a “Dan-made disaster which will devastate our communities and take a generation to recover from”. “If the Albanese government is serious about fighting climate change and protecting our environment it must now follow the lead of Victoria … and stop all native forest logging,” said the party’s forest spokesperson, Janet Rice.īut the decision was criticised by the Coalition. The Australian Greens said the ban should be national. There are no plans to end logging in New South Wales or Tasmania. The decision means both Victoria and Western Australia will end native forest logging by next year. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup “The advice that we’ve got is that, legally, there will be no way through this if the courts have been used the way that they have, effectively to frustrate this industry.” “We don’t take any satisfaction in this,” he said. The treasurer, Tim Pallas, told reporters he felt a “great degree of sympathy” for forestry workers and communities.

“That’s why we’re stepping up to give these workers, and their communities, businesses and partners along the supply chain, the certainty they deserve.”

“It’s not good enough for us to just cross our fingers and hope for the best,” the premier said. The transition package would help timber workers retrain and find new jobs and support businesses reliant on hardwood supply. The premier, Daniel Andrews, said the state needed a plan to support workers and their families. The supreme court last November ruled that VicForests had broken the law by failing to protect endangered species, including the greater glider.

Out of Australia by Steven Strong