"At a time when there is less forest left than ever in Australia, there is the greatest amount of woodchipping this country has ever seen." - Dr Bob Brown, Greens Federal Senator

The Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) Process which was supposed to provide the final solution has failed. The decision opens the way for unlimited woodchipping and has ignored scientific recommendations and economic alternatives. Prime Minister Howard claims that there will be more jobs, where they will come from is a mystery? It takes seven seconds for a tree to go down a chipper belt, hardly a job creator.

Goolengook stands as a show case of how government policies have failed to protect our most ecologically significant forest areas. Goolengook contains rare forest types, rainforest, threatened species habitat and old-growth - all of which is claimed to be protected, but isn't.

The equivalent of 19 football fields a day of forest area is clearfelled in East Gippsland every day. In 1995/96 5478 hectares were available for logging in East Gippsland, which has increased by 67% to 8177 hectares in 1996/97. Over 90% of this forest has old growth values. East Gippsland's forests survived the last Ice Age will they survive the current multinational onslaught. This corner of our country is now recognised as having one of the most - if not the most - diverse temperate forest in the world. East Gippsland is representative of what this corner of Australia might have been like in the past. Many of its fertile river flats have been scalped for agriculture but its diversity of plant communities is extraordinary. From the coastal heathlands to the stunted alpine snowgum country, East Gippsland covers a tiny 4% of the state yet supports over 300 rare and threatened species.

Blockade

The blockades provide an opportunity to voice your protest, and stop old growth forests from becoming piles of woodchips. It is also a chance to live in and study the forest. There is plenty to do, threatened species surveys, clearing blackberries, scouting, forest watch (i.e. checking for breaches of codes of practice) and liasion with workers, media and the police.

Boycott Woodchipping

Don't buy products which are made from our Native Forests. For Example - Kleenex tissues and toilet paper, Reflex Copy Paper. See the Boycott Woodchipping Campaign Manual for a detailed look at how to boycott this Industry.

Join an Environment Group

• Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO)
  Telephone: 0351 540 156
  Email: geco@paradigm4.com.au
  
  
• Friends of the Earth - Melbourne
  Telephone: 03 9419 8700
  Email: forests@foe.org.au
  
  
• Concerned Residents of East Gippsland
  Email: croeg@bigpond.com
  Web: www.vicnet.net.au/~croeg
  
  
• The Wilderness Society - Melbourne
  Telephone: 03 9670 5229
  

Write a letter - Voice Your Protest