Problem will disappear
When not actively attacking the environment through legislation such as 99-year leases in national parks, the state government enjoys the fine art of obfuscation. Its new logging industry-led Leadbeater’s Possum Taskforce is designed to avoid the blindingly obvious – clearfelling the possum’s habitat is driving it to extinction (”Loggers to help save possum”, 14/6). Unfortunately, Environment Minister Ryan Smith is correct about one thing: if he keeps ignoring the real cause of the impending extinction of the species, the problem will go away. Forever.
Warwick Sprawson, Brunswick West
State playing roulette
Allowing private developments in national parks (”Private leases plan for NPs”, 30/5) and reducing the protection of rare habitat follows a pattern of dismantling environmental legislation in Victoria by the Coalition. From cattle grazing and logging Leadbeater’s possum habitat to reducing staff in parks and increasingly shifting the burden to local government or community volunteers, the result of nearly every change this government has made has been detrimental to long-term environmental health. The volley of critiques from respected academics and scientific experts should be a warning to all of the irreplaceable public assets we are playing roulette with.
David Blair, Healesville