About the Victorian Rainforest Network

The Victorian Rainforest Network (VRN) is an independent and politically unaligned network of rainforest enthusiasts, researchers and activists with a shared interest in rainforest conservation and education across Victoria.

After the great success of having put an end to native forest logging on public land in the Otways and the creation of the Great Otway National Park in 2005, the Otway Ranges Environment Network (OREN) through a subgroup called the Victorian Rainforest Network (VRN) now presents this website as a new education and campaign tool - focused on rainforest in Victoria.

VRN draws from the experiences of the Otway Ranges Environment Network (OREN) rainforest campaign in the Otways. See the Otway experience.

The primary aim of VRN is to secure the effective conservation of rainforests on public land throughout Victoria by ensuring rainforests are adequately identified and protected from logging practices by appropriate buffers and permanent reservation.

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Contact VRN on vrn@vicrainforest.org or see the vicrainforest blog.

VRN is simply asking Government to follow their own rules.

A lot of the work VRN has engaged in, involves scrutinising the complex levels of bureaucratic planning that goes into developing buffers to protect rainforest from clearfell logging practices.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) already have planning processes in place to apply buffers to rainforest. However the conflict between conservation and logging, means progress to implement adequate buffers has been either extremely slow or stalled.

VRN has successfully influenced the draft Code of Forest Practices for Timber Production and proposed Rainforest Action Statement to increase the protection levels for rainforest in Victoria!

Historically three major government rainforest management processes have failed to implement appropriate rainforest conservation buffers:

1. Code of Forest Practices:
Minimum buffer standards outlined in the Code of Forest Practices are not being met.

2. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act
The Cool Temperate Rainforest plant community was recognised by the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act as a threatened plant community back in 1992. More than a decade later, the process to determine appropriate buffers still has not been completed.

3. Rainforest Sites of Significance
No formal decision has been made on the appropriate management (including adequate buffers) for Rainforest Sites of Significance in Victoria.

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Progress so far!

VRN has successfully influenced the draft Code of Forest Practices for Timber Production and proposed Rainforest Action Statement to increase the protection levels for rainforest in Victoria!

Victorian Rainforest Network welcomes the proposed changes that will enhance the level of buffer protection rainforest received from logging operations in Eastern Victoria. See press release.

The Victorian Rainforest Network (VRN) has been working for the past three years with government processes such as the EPA code audits and code review process to amend problems with the 1996 Code of Forest Practices.

The specific rainforest Code elements VRN has focused on and achieved positive results for include:

  1. provide sub-catchment buffers to rainforest stands of national significance. This will bring the new Code into line with the intent of the 1996 Code.

    At stake is a 480 ha area of very contentious forest within the East Gippsland State Forest area (some of this area has already been logged) located within ten National RSOS. The proposal means the national sites will have the buffers to protect against logging increased to a sub-catchment level to protect core rainforest stands.    See maps.

    There are currently at least five areas (coupes) in East Gippsland currently scheduled to be logged within the 480ha buffer area that will not go ahead if these changes to the Code occur.
    See maps and more detail.

  2. the minimum area for rainforest recognition has been reduced to being 0.1 Ha. The current minimum area in 0.4 ha. See more

  3. the official recognition for mixed forest in the Code. See more

  4. new rules to increase all buffers to 60 metres for Nothofagus-dominated cool temperate rainforest to standardise the protection against Myrtle Wilt. This will bring the new Code into line with the intent of the 1996 Code.

    VRN welcomes the addition of 700 ha of forest, mainly in the Central Highlands which will be included within the increase to 60 metre buffer.

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