Despite opposition from trade unions, legal, human rights and聽environment organisations聽and the Greens and Animal Justice parties, the Victorian Labor government passed a draconian law to criminalise environment protesters.
The passed the Legislative Council on August 4 and was given approval on August 9.
The amendment to the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004 increases the maximum jail sentence to 12 months and fines to more than $21,000 for anyone 鈥渉indering鈥 or 鈥渙bstructing鈥 authorised persons and machinery in a 鈥渢imber harvesting safety zone鈥.
The government is trying to justify the amendment as necessary to . However, unions, including the Victorian branches of the Maritime Union of Australia, the United Workers Union and the Australian Services Union, refute this.
to the Daniel Andrews government saying the bill is undemocratic and will not lead to greater workplace safety.
on August 4 that the letter said: 鈥淎ny stripping away of the right to protest eventually finds its way to further limiting workplace action.
鈥淎lready Australia has some of the most restrictive laws around industrial action in the world. In the context of a climate crisis, the right to protest must be advanced not diminished.鈥
Despite repeated requests, the government has not provided evidence that anti-logging protests have threatened the safety of forestry workers.
Sixty-seven human rights, environment, climate and legal groups published an on August 4 opposing the bill. 鈥淰ictorians have a long and proud history of peaceful protest,鈥 the letter said. 鈥淭he freedom to protest sits at the heart of our democracy. It allows those without financial means or access to politicians and platforms to be able to be heard and effect change.
鈥淚n the context of a climate crisis, continued destruction of First Nations Country聽and collapsing ecosystems, we need to protect this right more than ever. For these reasons, we call on you to withdraw the Sustainable Forests Timber Amendment (Timber Harvesting Safety Zones) Bill 2022.鈥
Further, the letter pointed out the plan to only end logging by 2030 is 鈥渋nadequate鈥.
Despite widespread public support for an immediate end to native forest logging, Aboriginal sovereignty and strong action on climate, the government is 鈥渁ttempting to demonise community members for peacefully protesting with heavy-handed fines and possible imprisonment鈥.
It said VicForests has 鈥渞epeatedly broken logging laws鈥 and undertaken unlawful logging, which has caused irreversible damage to endangered species and is destroying protected tree species.
An estimated 6 million hectares of forest and 3 billion animals were destroyed nationally by the Black Summer bushfires of 2019鈥20. Despite this, VicForests has continued to log.
The letter reminded the government that the High Court in 2017 had invalidated an anti-protest law in Tasmania in the case of Brown v Tasmania. 鈥淲e are concerned that the lack of necessity and proportionality in this draft law鈥 which also raises constitutional concerns.