About the case
Victoria promised to end native forest logging — but some forests are still falling through the cracks.
WOTCH is challenging logging on high conservation value private land in the Central Highlands, near Warburton, where endangered species like the Leadbeater’s possums and greater gliders live.
The logging is being carried out under a permit issued by a local council in 1977, which is just one sentence long.
Property records reveal that Fenning Timbers purchased this high-conservation-value site in 2022 and began logging under the old permit. The site borders a protected state forest and was previously identified as a potential offset habitat due to its ecological significance.
The case has been filed in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). Represented by Environmental Justice Australia, we are arguing that Yarra Ranges Council failed to consider threatened species protections – as required under Victoria’s strengthened biodiversity laws – when it approved the logging plans.
The government promised to end native forest logging. This case is about using Victoria’s strengthened biodiversity laws and giving threatened species the protection they’re entitled to – regardless of property boundaries.
All habitat is critical
‘Leadbeater’s possums don’t recognise human land boundaries – they need healthy, connected forest to survive. Every scrap of their remaining habitat, which is only found in Victoria’s Central Highlands, must be protected to stop them becoming extinct.’
The bigger narrative context
The Victorian Government presents the end of native forest logging as a done deal — but this case exposes a growing gap between promise and reality.
Some of Victoria’s most threatened species – like Leadbeater’s possums and greater gliders – are still losing critical habitat. These species are meant to be protected under state and federal laws, but outdated permits and legal loopholes are letting destruction continue.
This case shines a light on how those loopholes are being used – and why stronger, lasting protections are urgently needed.