Friends of the Earth (FoE) Melbourne  is a non-for profit organisation working for a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future. The international Friends of the Earth network is  active in 77 countries with over 2 million members. Read more.

The Northcote by-election is a great opportunity for all candidates to show their support for protecting native forests and wildlife. 

Do you live in Northcote and will be voting in the by-election?

Contact your candidates to tell them you want Victoria's native forests protected from logging.

More than 30 environment, recreation and scientific groups have renewed their call for the creation of the Great Forest National Park, as Labor’s favoured issues of renters rights and cost of housing prove less popular with voters in the upcoming Northcote by-election.

Read coverage in The Guardian here.

As Northcote voters head to the polls this weekend, here’s a wrap up of the Friends of the Earth campaign in the Northcote by-election and where the candidates stand on the issue of native forest logging and the creation of the Great Forest National Park.

Friends of the Earth has won the Environmental Justice category in this year's Victorian Premier's Sustainability Awards for conducting a campaign to build community resistance to the potential threat of fracking.

The Kuark forest is located in far East Gippsland, Victoria. This magnificent forest is home to rare rainforest and endangered animals. Sections of it are currently on logging schedules and could be cut at any moment. An access track has been cut into the first coupe.

In response, campaigners have set up a camp in the forest to oppose logging. In response, the Victorian government announced it would increase the protection given to old growth forests, but activists are not prepared for any of the coupe to be logged.

Ancient forest in East Gippsland's iconic Kuark forest is about to be logged!

Our friends and affiliate members Goongerah Envrionment Centre (GECO) have been working around the clock to protect this forest.

Trees over 400 years old will be cut down this week if we do not act.

A road has been pushed into the forest in preparation to start logging one of the most significant old growth forests in Victoria.

Logging has not yet started so there's still time to stop it.

If you haven't already, please take action here - Email Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio calling on her to stop the logging of this beautiful forest.

We're working closely with our friends at GECO to stop this logging using a variety of different strategies, your efforts to amplify the message in the Minister's office will greatly help.

We will keep you in the loop as new information comes to hand. Please follow our affiliate GECO's Facebook and Twitter for live updates.

Ancient forest in East Gippsland's iconic Kuark forest is about to be logged! 

Our friends and affiliate members Goongerah Envrionment Centre (GECO) have been working around the clock to protect this forest. 

Trees over 400 years old will be cut down this week if we do not act. 

A road has been pushed into the forest in preparation to start logging one of the most significant old growth forests in Victoria.  

Logging has not yet started so there's still time to stop it. 

Take action here - Email Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio calling on her to stop the logging of this beautiful forest. 

Media release. October 24, 2017

Environmental organisation Friends of the Earth today published results of a statewide survey of pesticide pollution in the State’s drinking water supplies.

The results were sourced from Freedom of Information (FoI) Requests from all of the State’s drinking water authorities. The multiple FOI .requests covered the years 2007 through to 2016.

“This is the first time such a survey has apparently been conducted” said FoE spokesperson Anthony Amis.  “Improved monitoring by some water authorities since 2012 has allowed a more accurate understanding about what pesticides are being washed into water supplies.”