Forest Action Trust (FAT) is an independent, Melbourne-based grassroots forest campaign collective. We are dedicated to the protection of Victoria's old growth forests, water catchments and threatened species habitat. We are a non-profit group involved in community campaigning, fundraising, direct action, activist training and environmental arts projects. We welcome new people, ideas and energy..

FAT meets on Wednesday evenings at Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St, Collingwood

p.s. this site is still under construction, so just look for links that work...

Current News

Friday 3rd August 2007
Woodchips Dumped on ALP
Nationwide Day of Action Targets ALP Forest Policy

Activists representing Tasmania's threatened Southern Forests have this morning dumped a pile of woodchips and occupied the Victoria Street office of ALP Federal Member for Melbourne, Lindsay Tanner.

This comes as part of national day of action highlighting the ALP's sell out of Tasmania's ancient forests is being held today in Launceston, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle.

'Kevin Rudd and Peter Garrett must realise there is nationwide community support for protection of Tasmania's ancient forests. Voters are aware that Mr Rudd's recent policy announcement consigns wilderness areas such as the Weld, Styx, and Upper Florentine to devastation at the hands of the woodchippers,' said Huon Valley Environment Centre Spokesperson, Jenny Weber.

'The March ALP conference voted to consider further Tasmanian forest reserves. Now Rudd has sold out Tasmania’s ancient forests, bowing to pressure from the forestry industry and union thugs like Michael O'Connor,' Jenny Weber said.

'Kevin Rudd would like the Australian public to believe he is taking a progressive stance on climate change. A policy that promotes clearfelling and burning of hundreds of thousands of hectares of carbon absorbing old growth forests is pure hypocrisy,' said Forest Action Trust Spokesperson, David Hammerton.

'The ALP should support forest conservation as the easiest and most immediate way to reduce Australia's carbon emissions. Protecting Tasmania's ancient forests is a real climate change solution,' David Hammerton said.

'Lindsay Tanner has said he doesn’t have the "luxury" of diverging from Rudd's position on Tasmania's forests. In the era of climate change forest protection is not a luxury, and it's time the ALP stepped up and listened to the Australian public on this issue.'