Since April 2024, GFG have been protecting Mountain Ash and Rainforest, defending threatened species, and empowering community action in Gippsland.
We’re pretty stoked with the progress ..... read on for a summary of the campaign’s successes to date.
And if you like what you see, and have capacity, please consider making a donation to support our work.
Your donation will help us protect Gippsland’s forests better and faster in 2026.
Successes to date:
- 430 acres of Mountain Ash forest and rainforest will be rehabilitated and saved in Fellas Coupe, protecting 70 critically endangered Slender Tree Ferns
- 400+ people brought into the forest to experience Mountain Ash, and rainforest ecosystems and learn how to identify Slender Tree Ferns
- 300+ people participated in our successful Slender Tree Fern protection campaign and our ongoing effort to stop the “pinification” of the Strzelecki Mountain Ash forests
- $13,728 secured in grant funding
- $21,120.75 raised through community donations
- $100,00+ in pro-bono legal advice and representation from a top-tier law firm, the Environmental Defenders Office and Barrister Willem Drent (Victorian Bar)
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Campaign Highlight - Protecting Slender Tree Ferns
OUTCOME: 430 acres of Mountain Ash forest and Rainforest is being rehabilitated and protected from logging, safeguarding 70 Slender Tree Ferns at Fellas Coupe
The discovery of critically endangered Slender Tree Ferns in logging coupes triggered urgent advocacy to ensure their protection and compliance with environmental law.
- GFG coordinated a community letter-writing campaign to HVP and local council
- Council published a public statement and commissioned an audit of operations at Fellas Coupe
- Complaints to Forest Stewardship Council resulted in multiple non-conformances with the standards
- HVP agreed to rehabilitate and set aside Fellas Coupe
Campaign highlight - No Pines in the Strzeleckis
Outcome: the FSC has instigated a consultation on their standard - this is an ongoing campaign.
GFG is supporting community resistance to the replacement of native species with pine plantations in the Strzelecki Ranges.
- Instigated and organised mass community participation in the FSC consultation on regeneration of native species plantations
- Numerous allied environment organisations lodged formal submissions including The Biodiversity Council
- 277 people signed onto a joint submission opposing replacement of native species plantations with exotics such as pines
Influence & Accountability
Our work has delivered measurable change across advocacy, accountability, transparency, and enforcement:
- Advocacy: Influenced HVP to redraft their High Conservation Values Assessment and Management Plan
- Accountability: Secured agreement (after significant pushback) from HVP and the Office of the Conservation Regulator that the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act applies to HVP operations
- Transparency: Our regulatory advocacy at the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) and VCAT secured the public release of a Timber Harvest Plan in line with the OVIC’s original decision, establishing a new transparency precedent.
- Enforcement: Advocated for council to investigate illegal clearing of a road reserve — now confirmed as unlawful
Visitors & Engagement
We've brought over 400 people into the Strzelecki Mountain Ash forests and rainforests to experience these threatened ecosystems first-hand and build ecological knowledge.
Visitors included:
- Local Councillors and executive team
- State MPs Danny O’Brien, Melina Bath, and Tom McIntosh
- CEO of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
Outreach:
In addition to our presentations to Landcare, Field Naturalist and other environment groups, you can listen to interviews with Gippsland Forest Guardians on 3CR and 3RRR radio, the Just Ecology podcast, our webinar for the Victorian Forests Alliance and read the ABC news article.
Supporters & Community Power
- 350 active supporters taking action across campaigns
- Collaborations with Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group, Save Our Strzeleckis and other partners and allies to conduct research, surveys and community events
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Welcomed our first regular donor ($50 per month) — a modest but highly appreciated contribution making a huge impact on our ability to cover essential costs such as:
- Freedom of Information requests
- Mapping and aerial photography
- Incorporation fees
- Website creation and hosting
Please consider making a donation to support our work. As a 100% volunteer-run organisation, every dollar goes directly to supporting our legal and research work, advocacy campaigns and community building.
Your donation will help us protect Gippsland’s forests better and faster in 2026.
What’s Next?
Mountain Ash, not Pines
A critical opportunity lies in the interpretation of Principle 10.1 of the FSC Standard, which requires harvested areas to be regenerated to “pre-harvest or more natural conditions.”
This principle underpins our ongoing campaign to prevent Mountain Ash in the Strzeleckis from being replaced with pine plantations.
We will continue to engage with HVP and FSC at the national and international level to ensure Mountain Ash in the Strzeleckis is not turned into pine plantations.
Developing our evidence base
As an evidence-based advocacy group, we will continue the collection of data and expert advice to inform our work. In 2026 we aim to:
- conduct vegetation surveys of warm temperate rainforest
- continue to support Gang-gang cockatoo research
- support citizen science in the Strzeleckis
Preparing legal avenues for better biodiversity protection in the Strzeleckis
We are in discussion with legal advisers about parts of the regulatory system that can be tested and strengthened to better protect our forests.
Maximising our leverage in an election year
We’re working on how to maximise the opportunity of a State election to increase the impact of our campaigns.
Having fun!
We look forward to your joining us as we March for the Forests in March stay tuned for details…
