• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Protestors Who Try To Prevent Logging Can Now Be Jailed In Victoria

Home> News

Published 05:41 26 May 2022 GMT+1

Protestors Who Try To Prevent Logging Can Now Be Jailed In Victoria

Under the new laws, native forest protesters are prohibited from entering timber harvesting zones or blocking workers and their machinery.

Charisa Bossinakis

Charisa Bossinakis

Protesters fighting native forest logging could potentially face jail time or a huge fine under a new policy introduced by the Victorian government.

Under the new laws, native forest protesters are prohibited from entering timber harvesting zones or from blocking workers and their machinery, according to The Age.

If they break this rule, they could be chucked in the slammer for up to 12 months or pay a AUD$21,000 fine.

Forest campaigner Chris Schuringa called the new laws ‘a really heavy-handed and draconian response’ to prevent those trying to protect biodiversity across the state.

Advert

He explained to The Age: “Twelve months imprisonment for a peaceful non-violent protesting is ridiculous.”

Alamy

Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam also slammed the new legislation for being ‘extreme’. 

She said: “Victorians have just voted unequivocally for candidates supporting climate action, which includes protecting forests.

"Yet instead of protecting our precious forests, the Victorian Labor government seems hell-bent on logging at all costs.”

Advert

The Age reports that Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas defended the new law, saying that protesters would continue to put the lives of forestry workers at risk if protesting remained unregulated.

“We respect the right to protest safely but want to make sure workers go home to their families each day,” she said. 

“Every Victorian has the right to be safe at work. Protests are becoming increasingly dangerous, particularly for workers, which is why this legislation will support them to get on with their job and minimise disruption to the industry.”

The Age also contacted VicForests to confirm if there had been accidents due to demonstrations at logging sites. They stated protesters had indeed created ‘unacceptable risk to the safety of workers’.

Alamy

Advert

Despite pushback from climate change activists over the recent policy, the Andrews’ government announced a plan in 2019 to phase out native logging within the next decade.

He also promised to provide $120 million to the industry facing increasing pressure in recent years.

While speaking at a tree nursery in Alberton, in Gippsland, Mr Andrews acknowledged that the move would be a ‘challenging transition’ for workers in the sector.

However, he confirmed they would be supported.

"There will be pain and there will be challenges in this, but we will stand with every single community to provide the certainty and the support to make it through this tough transition," he said.

Advert

"Essentially we are going to replace those jobs currently employed with native timber, with jobs in planting, cutting down and hauling and processing plantation timber.

"That's the way this transition will be managed."

Featured Image Credit: Michael Currie/Alamy. Alamy.

Topics: News, Australia, Politics, Environment

Charisa Bossinakis
Charisa Bossinakis

Charisa Bossinakis is an Associative Journalist at LADbible. Charisa has worked across various media platforms including, print, digital, radio and podcasting while maintaining the highest regard for quality work and integrity. She also covered everything from breaking news, to pop culture, entertainment and politics and is part of the editorial team for LADbible.

X

@CBossinakis

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
7 hours ago
8 hours ago
10 hours ago
  • 6 hours ago

    Elon Musk urges release of Epstein files weeks after accusing Trump of being involved in fiery X rant

    Musk made a bombshell claim about his former 'first buddy'

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Arne Slot releases emotional statement after Diogo Jota tragically dies aged 28

    The Liverpool forward and his brother died this morning

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    Mum says picture of her son at nursery saved his life after camera flash revealed rare disease

    Laura Davies, from Wales, says she would have 'never known' without the photo

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    Brit, 29, who fell ill moments after getting tattoo on hen do fighting for life in coma

    Poppy-Mae Crutchley began to feel unwell 'instantly' after she got the inking in the Spanish party hotspot

    News
  • Man who makes a living pretending to be Kim Jong-un reveals what he’d say to the dictator
  • UK locations that would be safest in the event of WW3 as Brits warned to ‘actively prepare’ for war
  • Most dangerous water in the world that has a '100% fatality rate if entered' can be found in UK
  • Most remote populated island on planet earth can only be reached by six-day ship journey