Protecting Victoria’s Forests

August 11 Protecting Victoria's Forests with A/Prof Philip Zylstra and Senior Lawyer Natalie Hogan, Environmental Justice Australia
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: 360 Burwood Road, Hawthorn 3122 Victoria

Victorians love their forests. And for good reason - the role of forests in storing carbon and supporting biodiversity is undisputed. But climate change, invasive species and disturbance threaten them more each year.

So, many celebrated when Victoria's state government declared an end to native forest logging in 2024. However, since then, threats to these precious ecosystems have continued - through harmful fire and landscape management practices, weak environmental protection laws, insufficient public funding and inadequate independent oversight.

Victorians and our forests deserve better! 

We will hear from fire ecologist A/Prof Phil Zylstra, and environmental lawyer Natalie Hogan. Together, these leading experts will explain where current policy is going wrong, and what changes must be made to fire & landscape management and legal protections.

Phil will share insights gained through his field research into the mechanisms that drive fire behaviour and why inappropriate burning can make Australian forests more flammable. This presentation is informed by A/Prof Zylstra’s close collaboration with First Nations fire knowledge holders, and his practical experience in fire management and remote area fire-fighting.

Natalie will draw on her extensive legal experience representing community activists and environment groups working to protect forest country. She will also explain the legal loopholes that allow logging in Victoria to continue under a different guise – and how they could be closed.

With an election in November, this event is a timely opportunity to learn where our forests stand: and what we need our politicians to be doing to stand up for forests and nature! Don’t miss it!

A/Prof Phil Zylstra is a fire behaviour scientist adjunct with Curtin University and ANU. Natalie Hogan is a senior lawyer with Environmental Justice Australia.

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