The Earth Resources Department of the Victorian government are currently reviewing their 'Stakeholder Engagement Strategy". The strategy outlines how they will improve engagement with us in relation to resources extraction projects, including coal, gas and minerals.

Their draft is now available for public comment, and we think this is a fantastic time to let them know where they have been falling short, and how you need them to improve.

Please check here for details on making a submission.

National Parks are protected right? They are the last remaining vestiges of land in Australia that are no longer cut down, hunted in or dug up. Think again. As we speak, there are large machines pushing, breaking and cutting down Red Gum trees and trampling vegetation in the Murray Valley National Park (MVNP) in NSW, Australia. It looked bad on paper, and it looks even worse in real life. It is almost unbelievable that we are employing loggers to go back into our National Parks.

                       (Destruction on the forest floor)

Environment group Friends of the Earth have called on the Andrews government to set ambitious Victorian Renewable Energy Targets as the ACT government announces a ramped up target of 100 percent renewable by 2020.

"The ACT has secured its position as a national leader by lifting its Renewable Energy Target to 100 percent,” said Leigh Ewbank, Friends of the Earth renewable energy spokesperson.

“Its ambitious policy is creating jobs, attracting investment, and will help the territory tackle climate change."

The Andrews government has delivered its second budget which focuses strongly on infrastructure, health, education and family violence.

Environment group Friends of the Earth welcome the modest commitments on climate and renewable energy but say budget 2017 must be a budget for the environment.

“There were a series of modest but welcome commitments made on the environment and climate change,” said Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth campaigns coordinator.

“The Andrews government can prove its environmental credentials by making it the centrepiece of budget 2017.”

Friends of the Earth has partnered with Ethical Switch for an 8 week fundraising campaign to focus on the impact that a household’s energy choices can make on the environment. The more we make the move to renewable energy, the more pressure is placed on the unconventional gas industry and the cleaner our country becomes.

Ethical Switch presents a comparison of all electricity providers within an area in terms of carbon emissions, renewable energy investment and customer satisfaction. By choosing one of their high rated providers, customers are directly supporting investment in renewable energy in Australia.

A few weeks ago, CSIRO CEO Larry Marshall announced his plans to get rid of 350 more scientists, mostly from climate and environmental research.

Malcolm Turnbull can step in and fix this problem. He can agree to reverse the funding cuts and properly fund science in the interest of the nation.

Join us at the State Library of Victoria on saturday April 2nd to rally against the savage cuts to climate research at the CSIRO.

National environment group Friends of the Earth (FoE) has welcomed today’s announcement by the Victorian Treasurer that the government will not extend the electricity subsidy to the Alcoa smelter in Portland.

FoE campaigns co-ordinator Cam Walker said “the subsidy has cost the state up to $4.5 billion, close to $140,000 per employee per year. The time has come to stop subsidising energy from coal-fired power stations”.