30/11/2025
WONDERFUL NEWS!!!
“Win for the Mirboo North Native Forests and our Community
Eight years after VicForests announced their intentions to log 112 hectares of native forest in Mirboo North, and six years since being deemed an Immediate Protection Area (IPA) by the Victorian Labor State Government, there has been an exciting development.
Late on Tuesday 18th November, Preserve Our Forests received fantastic news that the Immediate Protection Area will be formally protected as a Conservation Park. After passing the Legislative Assembly (Lower House) and many hours of debate by the Legislative Council (Upper House), the Bill was passed designating the IPA into the Mirboo North Conservation Park. This Act of Parliament will undergo formalities to have it written into law by the Governor and gazetted.
The classification into a Conservation Park acknowledges Mirboo North’s native forests as having high conservation value and needing protection, particularly in the majorly cleared landscape of the Strzelecki Ranges and South Gippsland. Mirboo North’s forests are important refuges, currently sustaining multiple threatened animal species and threatened ecological vegetation communities, such as Warm Temperate Rainforest and Wet Forest. Preserve Our Forests have surveyed, researched and advocated for this forest to be protected on this basis as well as the benefit of having intact forests on our town’s tourism, economy and social cohesion.
Once gazetted and the Conservation Park is official, Susan Koci (Biodiversity Working Group Coordinator, Preserve Our Forests) said, “It will be incumbent on the Victorian Government to provide appropriate funding to reflect the importance of this new park ecologically and culturally to the community, by investing in restoration, pest management, education and building partnerships between land managers, Traditional Owners and local people”.
Located adjacent to Lyrebird Forest the new Conservation Park (440 hectares), will provide a greater immersive nature experience for our community and visitors to soak in and enjoy. Like Lyrebird Forest Walk, this area will be an asset to our community and become part of our identity.
It has been a long journey since VicForests came to town in 2017 and the IPA declaration in 2019. Preserve Our Forests would like to thank the Mirboo North community for their trust and support during the campaign, and to those who assisted throughout. This win is for you and our native forests!”
