This isn’t recovery – it’s destruction in disguise.
What you’re seeing is industrial-scale salvage logging at Silver Queen, in the headwaters of the Werribee River and within the area proposed for the new Wombat-Lerderderg National Park – a place that should be protected for its rich biodiversity, not treated like a logging zone.
Wombat Forestcare took VicForests to court over this very site, arguing that adequate surveys for threatened species hadn’t been carried out.
But before the case could be heard, VicForests was shut down – and the question of what was missed remains unanswered.
Experts believe endangered species like the Spotted Hyacinth Orchid were likely never surveyed for, and that removing wind-fallen timber doesn’t actually reduce fire risk – it simply strips away vital habitat for wildlife.
As Victoria moves to legislate new national parks, this kind of large-scale clearing undermines public trust and threatens the very values these parks aim to protect.
It’s time for government to halt this damage and ensure proper protection for the Wombat before it’s too late.
