see also
A rough history of Victorias forests 1970-87
Our story begins with the formation of Melbourne Rainforest
Action Group (RAG) in 1988. Partly inspired by and reacting to Bruno
Manser our purpose was to highlight the social and environmental consequences
of logging in the remote Malaysian province of Sarawak on the island
of Borneo. The indigenous Dyak and Penan nations were having their land
plundered and their culture and lifestyle destroyed so that Australian
consumers could purchase poorly made, disposable furniture. To find
out more click here. If it were not
bad enough that these timbers were derived from unethical and unsustainable
sources they were also being supplied by unscrupulous people who cared
for nothing other than making a profit. In response, between 1988 and
1992 we conducted many non-violent direct actions including 29 ship
actions where we, as swimmers, kyakers, surfers etc., attempted to physically
and symbolically blockade ships carrying the imported tropical rainforest
timber on the Yarra River in Melbourne.
Strezlecki Ranges
In the quest for alternatives we hoped that local forest management would provide a suitable alternative to imported tropical rainforest timber. The result disappointed and in 1989-90 led to RAG joining protests against the logging of old growth forest at Brown Mountain in East Gippsland. Soon after the interest in local forest issues saw a RAG collective form the Victorian Rainforest Sites of Significance Action Group. This collective was the beginning of the Forest Network. Since then we have conducted hundreds of non-violent direct actions and helped to establish the Indigenous Solidarity Group and the Boycott Woodchipping Campaign.
http://www.green.net.au/boycott/bwchome.htm
Central
Highlands
In the summer of 1993 1994, the network joined with the Wilderness Society http://www.wilderness.org.au/ and Concerned Residents of East Gippsland (CROEG) http://home.vicnet.net.au/~croeg/ to launch the East Gippsland Forest Alliance. More than 350 joined the alliance at a gathering in Goongerah in East Gippsland, and direct action was started both in the forests of East Gippsland, and against the woodchip mill at Eden. Blockades and actions were carried out for the next few summers. A key focus of the campaign was also the annual woodchip licence renewals. During the summer of 1995 1996, FoE joined local residents in the Otways in building a broad based local group, which went through a number of names: Forest and Land Action Group, Save the Otways, Friends of the Otways, and, finally OREN the Otway Ranges Environment Network http://www.oren.org.au/.
OREN is now the peak green group in The Otways region and has won a number of local victories. Since then, FoE has continued to liaise and be active in most other parts of the state where forests are under threat, including Central Victoria (Wombat forest), the Central Highlands, the Victorian Alps, Western districts, East Gippsland and the Strezlecki Ranges. FoE has worked closely with Aboriginal traditional owners to gain protection of forests in the South West of the state. In working with regional groups, FoE is mindful of the need to listen to local communities. It seeks to support local initiatives rather than ‘drive’ local agendas. This is fundamental to a campaign perspective based on community empowerment. FoE seeks to address all ecological issues in its campaigns. So, it does not make a blanket endorsement of pine plantations as a solution to the crisis in our native forests.
We call for mindful, respectful and ecologically sustainable management of all landscapes. In terms of plantations, we feel it is imperative to address the alienation of natural systems, use of herbicides and pesticides, impacts on groundwater and streams, human health impacts and impacts of industrial scale plantations on rural communities. At best plantations can only be viewed as an interim solution to forest destruction as they reflect an anthropocentric monopoly of land use. Timber and paper consumption should be defined natures capacity to provide not our capacity to consume. Wherever possible we advocate the restoration and maintenance of natural systems.
Hancock Watch & Australian Paper Watch
Good environmental outcomes will be complex and regionally appropriate: there is no single ‘one size fits all’ model. Fundamental to achieving a sustainable future will be a reduction in consumption patterns, ecological management of plantations, alternative sources of timber and fibre, and protection of all high conservation value native forests.
In
2002, Forest Network continues to campaign on the local, national and
international levels through non-violent direct action, community education,
and building alliances with residents and community groups. FoE aims
to ensure protection of all high conservation and old growth forests
especially in East Gippsland, stop the export woodchip industry, promote
alternatives and reduce paper consumption. As a campaign collective
of FoE, it has a strong social justice perspective and seeks to work
for a sustainable and equitable timber industry.
Central Highlands
NE
Victoria
Some MRAG history, photos and the video, as well as some description of MRAG strategy on this website:
Nonviolent Campaign Strategy: https://nonviolentstrategy.wordpress.com/
See, for example: https://nonviolentstrategy.wordpress.com/case-studies/
There is also a swag of articles about MRAG actions (if you look through 1989-1991) here: https://robertjburrowes.wordpress.com/publications/
NE
Victoria