FIRE is a tricky thing – at one extreme it consumes everything in its path, at the other it can be a patchy burn and trickle through a forest. There is no happy medium; even low intensity cool burns can have devastating effects on forest wildlife. The Greater Glider, Australia’s largest gliding marsupial, has been known to occur in the Strathbogie Forest for many decades and in recent years government scientists have shown the forest to be a stronghold for the species in Victoria. In August this year, local group Save Our Strathbogie Forest launched legal proceedings against the Victorian Government to stop the fuel reduction burning of up to 2000 ha of important habitat for the endangered Greater Glider. Prior to launching the legal action, we repeatedly asked the government to modify the burns to reduce the risk to the gliders. None of our requests were agreed to. The Victorian Government’s assertion that the burns will not have a significant impact on the Greater Glider population in the forest appears to contradict information published by both the Australian and Victorian governments. For example, the Australian Government’s Greater Glider Conservation Advice lists fire - particularly too-intense, or too-frequent fuel reduction burning - as having “severe” consequences for the species. The case in no way attempts to stop all fuel reduction burning as some comments in the media have claimed. In our opinion, burning forest that is known to support a healthy population of a nationally endangered species, when the government itself recognizes that such fire poses a risk to that very species, represents poor forest management. In this case, it’s the wrong fire in the wrong place. The case will hear from expert witnesses and clarify whether fuel reduction burns should be referred to the federal environment department. The Federal Court hearing has been set for late January, 2024. Bertram Lobert, president, Save Our Strathbogie Forest WorkCover reforms fail to address soaring premiums THE Liberals and Nationals last week moved amendments to the Allan Labor Government’s WorkCover Scheme Modernisation Bill to have it referred to a parliamentary committee. With average premium increases sitting at 42 per cent and many businesses paying increases of between 60 and 80 per cent, it is critical for the Minister responsible, Danny Pearson, to get the details right. The Minister’s mismanagement of the current scheme and its chief agency, WorkSafe Victoria, has resulted in the scheme haemorrhaging funds and requiring at least $1.3 billion in taxpayer bailouts in recent years and a projected $18 billion of additional costs on Victorian business over the next decade. As it stands, the Bill fails to address soaring premiums for Victorian businesses, was drafted without the consultation of the mental health sector, and is completely silent on the government’s proposed body, Return to Work Victoria. Labor broke WorkCover and now they want to introduce reforms that shed no light on the critical role of return to work. There must be a focus on prevention, safe workplaces, and keeping premiums down. Injured workers and businesses alike should not carry the can for Labor’s mismanagement of the system. Cindy McLeish (MLA, Eildon), Shadow Minister for WorkCover and TAC
