Victorian Parliament has unfinished business to urgently protect Victoria’s magnificent forests

The Victorian Government's ongoing and costly indecision about the popular Great Forest National Park proposal continued yesterday, with Environment Minister Steve Dimopolous signalling he is incapable of delivering the government's promise to implement the state's largest environment protection policy in the state's history.

The Minister’s comments were made out of sync with government and public consultation processes, and snub science, sidestep transparency, and are inconsistent with the government’s own commitments to forest protection.

Recent RedBridge polling shows overwhelming public support for forest protections and the creation of new national parks. Yet Environment Minister Dimopolous’ comments at the union conference run counter to public sentiment, as well as the Victorian Government’s 2019 promise to deliver the largest expansion to the state’s reserve system in history—a promise that remains unfulfilled six years on.

As long as there aren't secure protections for high conservation value forests, businesses that trade in timber, paper and packaging products are at risk of having deforestation in their supply chains.

Jo Hopkins, Victorian Campaigns Manager at the Wilderness Society, said “The time is now for Victoria’s spectacular tall forests to have permanent protections that prevent their destruction. They are the most carbon-dense forests in the world. Permanently protecting them is vital for meaningful climate action.

“It’s concerning that the Minister’s comments appear to have been made without transparency, and without meaningful consultation with Traditional Owners. Victoria is a cultural landscape. Future land management must be led in partnership with Traditional Owners, grounded in shared decision-making and cultural safety. 

“Victoria needs an environment minister that respects and advocates for the natural world. Dimopoulos' announcement is a disappointment, and is wildly out of step with science and community views.”

Amelia Young, National Campaigns Director at the Wilderness Society, said the comments also call into question Victoria’s environmental credibility and underscores the need for strong federal leadership.

“The Wilderness Society is currently in court defending the plight of animals like the warnda / greater glider. We expect the Federal Government to meet its legal obligations on recovery planning for threatened species like the wollert / Leadbeater’s possum and Australian grayling.

“At the same time, businesses that source timber, paper and packaging are at risk of deforestation entering their supply chains so long as high conservation value forests are left without permanent protection.”

Background notes:

The Great Forest National Park (GFNP) proposal would deliver permanent protection for more than 355,000 hectares of Victoria’s spectacular Central Highlands forests. These forests are a globally significant, carbon-dense ecosystem critical to biodiversity, water security, and climate resilience. It is a multi-tenure proposal that integrates conservation across state forests, parks and public lands, and reflects more than a decade of community advocacy.

These forests are home to threatened species like the wollert / Leadbeater’s possum, warnda / greater glider and powerful owl—species found nowhere else on Earth. The GFNP would provide a much-needed safeguard for their habitat, and help protect Melbourne’s water catchments from further degradation.