CEC Movie Club – ‘ALBATROSS, A Love Story’

The movie ALBATROSS, a film by Chris Jordan. “… a poetic guided tour into the depths of your own spirit. … a message of life and love for nature. … a visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy. The Midway Atoll is home to the largest albatross colony in the world.…

Selling out Koalas

UPDATE: The proposed Bill of the Nationals to further remove protections for native forests has been withdrawn because of community response made the passing of the bill unlikely [a success for forest protection and those who responded to the call for action].  [Original] NEFA MEDIA RELEASE:  Perrottet’s Private Native Forestry logging bill is an all-out…

3D printed homes

https://www.studiokite.com/tinyhome Meet Jindi. Studio Kite’s 3D printed tiny home. Jindi is a Yugambeh-Bundjalung word used for nest. The Bundjalung Nation are the custodians of the northern coastal area of NSW. In collaboration with National Parks and Wildlife Services, Studio Kite designed a range of 3D-printed nests for endangered wildlife that were left homeless due to…

NEFA News: Federal Gov’t Falls at First Forest Hurdle

Report by SEAN O’SHANNESSY: North coast conservationists are dismayed, that the Albanese Federal Government have failed to seize the opportunity to exclude wood from native forests being used as a substitute for coal and classed as ‘renewable energy’. A Senate Committee report released this afternoon that investigated potential amendments to the Climate Change legislation, has…

Tweed Growth Management and Housing Strategy Survey

Below is the link to the survey and also the Caldera Environment Centre’s priority issues as a guide to help with your survey responses. Closing date is 12th Sept. CEC points – from the perspective of preserving Tweeds internationally significant biodiversity and maintaining the character of local ‘village’ communities as well as preserving productive farmlands. Suggested responses to survey questions: Q on places and types of residential development for…

See the Draft North Coast Regional Plan Update

The North Coast Regional Plan is the strategic plan for the future of the this region View the document with our highlighted texts for clarity and speed of reading: http://calderaenvironmentcentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Draft_North_Coast_Regional_Plan_2041.pdf Submissions closed 24 August 2022 Caldera Environment Centre To NSW Dept Planning & EnvironmentEmail: northern@planning.nsw.gov.au Submission: Draft North Coast Regional Plan 2041 (NCRP). The Caldera…

Inquiry into Australia’s Extinction Crisis

The inquiry has been re-referred, with a revised title and terms of reference, included below.  … you are invited to make a new submission to this inquiry by 31 August 2022, previous submissions are still to be considered.  … lodge a submission through the committee’s website.  Inquiry into Australia’s Extinction Crisis.  Terms of Reference.  Australia’s extinction crisis,…

Australian State of The Environment Report

Biodiversity – Executive Summary: “Australia’s biodiversity is under increased threat and has, overall, continued to decline. “… many species and communities suffer from the cumulative impacts of multiple pressures. Most jurisdictions consider the status of threatened species to be poor and the trend to be declining. “Invasive species, particularly feral animals, are unequivocally increasing the pressure they exert on Australia’s biodiversity, and habitat…

World Environment Day Festival feedback

Caldera Environment Centre would like to thank you for participating in our event. We hope you had as much fun attending as we did organizing it. We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving. It will also help with funding to keep the festival going. Please fill this quick survey and let us…

… to force a debate in the NSW parliament to End Public Native Forest Logging

Update: Petition succeeded, it will be debated in the Legislative Assembly at 4pm on 15/09/2022. You can watch the debate on the webcast at https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/pages/la-webcast-page.aspx . ————— NCC is sponsoring a Parliamentary petition aimed at ending forest logging. The Petition must get 20,000 signatures in the by August 1, to force a debate in the…

World Environment Day 17th July Knox Park Murwillumbah – #OnlyOneEarth

   The Caldera World Environment Day Event  promotes sustainability and protection of the natural environment,  celebrates the environmental culture and ecological bio-diversity in our region,  is a coming together to learn about and to discuss the challenges we face in living in the age of the ecological crisis, and  is designed to be encouraging, inspiring,…

NEFA: Cherry Tree Four Get Justice

All charges were dismissed in Kyogle Court for the four forest protectors arrested in November for defending Cherry Tree State Forest from logging. Malveena Martyn, Naomi Shine, Ian Gaillard and Dee Mould, collectively known as the “Cherry Tree Four” who had their final day in court after over six months of legal action were relieved and…

[nefanews] Forest Media 8 April 2022

New South Wales:  At the south coast Upper House hearings into the ’Long term sustainability and future of the timber and forest products industry’ concerns were raised about the frequency of logging breaches, the slow investigations, the lack of third-party enforcement, the logging of burnt forests and the pitiful returns on native forest logging, whereas…

NEFA: … focus attention on forests.

Forests are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land and accommodate more than 80% of the terrestrial specifies of animals, plants and insects. Forests cover 30% of the earth’s surface and are vital habitats for millions of species, they are sources of clean air and water, and of course crucial for fighting climate change. A…

North East Forest Alliance Statement for International Day of Forests

“If the NSW and Federal Governments continue to refuse to [stop logging public native forests and stopping clearing forests], it is your responsibility to stand up and speak out to make them.” Big old trees are awesome, hundreds of years old, towering 8-12 stories high, apartment complexes for hollow-dependent animals with larders for Koalas, gliders, possums…

Submission in objection to the Whitehaven coal mine expansion at Narrabri

Lock The Gate have asked for submissions to the Independent Planning Commission in objection to the new expansion of the Whitehaven Narrabri coal mine which will affect the environment as detailed below. The CEC submission: We (the Caldera Environment Centre, Murwillumbah NSW) object to the Whitehaven coal mine expansion at Narrabri. We object because the proposed…

Dismay over Government’s rejection of inquiry recommendation to stop burning native forests for electricity.

From The North East Forest Aliance (NEFA) and The North Coast Environment Council (NCEC): Conservation groups are dismayed by the NSW Government’s rejection of the recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry ‘to prevent the burning of wood from native forests to generate energy’ and exclude its being classed as renewable energy. Contrary to the Government’s claims…

Please Help: NSW.gov ePetition – End Public Native Forest Logging in NSW

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY – Signing ePetition – End Public Native Forest Logging End Public Native Forest Logging in NSW.  To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly.   Public native forest logging is pushing iconic species like the koala, swift parrot and greater glider towards extinction.   The 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires burnt over 5…

Native Forests ARE NOT ‘Biofuel’ replacement for coal.

Here and now, at The Time of The Collapse Of The Ecology, they are doubling down on stupid. They are industrially feeding our native forests into furnaces, as a replacement for coal, to make electricity. They have changed the laws to take away the tree protections. They have made laws which say that burning forests…

Morrison’s $50 million pledge for Koalas a smokescreen

NORTH EAST FOREST ALLIANCE:  Scott Morrison announcement of $50 million for Koalas is a smokescreen to cover-up his Government’s approval for increased logging and clearing of Koala habitat, while allowing climate heating to run amok, threatening the future of both Koalas and the Great Barrier Reef, according to the North East Forest Alliance. “Without good…

Link: Stand Up For Cherry Tree Forest

“Join in protecting Cherry Tree State Forest from the threat of irreparable damage from logging. Our koalas, rivers and climate need this vital part of the Richmond Range ecological corridor stretching from the Border Ranges NP to the Bundjalung NP.” facebook.com/Stand.Up.For.Cherry.Tree

Link: Fridays For Forests

“Every Friday at 10am where ever you are it is time to join the action protecting our native forests from logging”   facebook.com/groups/fridays4forests/

New David Bradbury Biomass Film – Please Watch and Share

Whole trees woodchipped and fed into giant furnaces to generate electricity and getting taxpayer subsidies to destroy forests as several people say in this clip, has to be one of the most ‘insane’ ideas currently happening on the Planet. We have to end this scam pronto – David. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=905957046686591

Ari of the CEC presented with TSC Sustainability Award

Ari Ehrlich of the Caldera Environment Centre has been presented with one of this year’s Tweed Shire Council Sustainability Awards.  Ari received the award for his successful organising of the annual Caldera World Environment Day Festival event in Knox Park 6th June 2021.  TSC: Tweed Sustainability: Recognising outstanding contributions to improved sustainability across multiple impact…

[nefanews]: Natural Resources Commission Report Leaked!~ (at last)

[nefanews]: The NSW Government must explain why it ignored the advice of the independent Natural Resources Commission and kept logging forests in regions hit hardest by the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires.  The 2019/20 wildfires were unprecedented in their scale, extent of high and extreme fire severity, and duration. They burnt 4.8 million hectares of land…

The Logging Loophole at the Heart of Glasgow COP21 Deforestation Declaration

The Glasgow declaration on forests and land use pledges to stop deforestation by 2030, but a logging loophole in the declaration actually allows clearcutting and other ecologically destructive forestry practices to continue unchecked. Why is industrial logging excluded from the Glasgow Declaration on Deforestation? Why don’t clear-felled forests count? Why isn’t converting forests into monoculture…

[nefanews] Banner drops send Koala message around the world

NSW Forest Defenders have targeted proposed and operating biomass facilities in NSW dropping banners that read “Dead Koala Energy #BigBadBiomass “and “No Trees for Electricity! Stop the Biomassacre”. Along with other actions around the country, the actions are part of the International Day of Action against #BigBadBiomass, the practice of cutting trees to burn in power…

Biomass Action Group Gathering at Condong Biomass Burning Power Plant

Biomass Action Group: Biggest turnout yet at Condong biomass plant! Thanks to our supporters and speakers Mandy Nolan, Iaun Gaillard, Nola Firth, and #fridaysforforests’ Sean O’Shannessy. Sending the message loud and clear that we need our forests now more than ever to draw down carbon, so do not accept biomass is the false solution it’s…

Condong to burn 120,000 tonnes of ‘industrial waste’ timber from Brisbane

The Condong electricity power generator plant is to be reclassified as an “energy from waste” (EfW) facility. …  The repurposed Condong Sugar Mill power plant is to burn: 1. Waste from Brisbane – 120,000 tonnes of ‘industrial waste timber with up to 10% plastic and 10% fabrics [also plastic?]’ ‘recovered timber fuel’ sourced from ‘construction,…

Link to Beyond Zero Emissions webinar

Research by Beyond Zero Emissions shows Australia can pursue an ambitious ‘Go for Gold’ scenario and secure a significant share of the global market for growth commodities, such as: Green steel Renewable hydrogen Renewable ammonia Green aluminium. These products are set to dominate global economic growth this century and Australia is well positioned to be…

Tweed Shire Council Sustainability Awards

Nominations have been received from across the community to share inspiring stories about people and projects working to protect and enhance our special and beautiful natural environment. The Caldera Environment Centre has nominated Ari Ehrlich for his successful organising of the annual Caldera World Environment Day Festival event in Knox Park 6th June 2021 [and over…

Time to end logging of public native forests

NEFA MEDIA RELEASE: Time to end logging of public native forests. NEFA is calling upon the NSW Government to follow the leads of Western Australia and Victoria by immediately adopting a plan to phase out logging of public native forests because of their vital roles in taking up and storing carbon and providing homes for…

EDO: Western Australia to end Native Forest Logging

Environmental Defenders Office: “In a huge win for native animal habitat and the climate, the West Australian Government has announced an end to native forest logging. The move is expected to preserve at least an additional 400,000 hectares of karri, jarrah and wandoo forests when a new Forest Management Plan comes into force in 2024. The…

Australian Forest Network calls on the Federal and State Governments to immediately stop logging in our public native forests.

We call on the Federal and State Governments to immediately stop logging and all other forms of degradation in our public native forests. Australia now faces the existential crises of catastrophic climate change and biodiversity loss. Species are hurtling towards extinction as they face a rapidly changing climate and habitat destruction. Forest-dependent species are especially…

Dear Minister for Energy & Environment: Save our forests from the furnaces !!!

Dear Minister, We are excited to note the bipartisan support for the recommendation that native forest biomass not be allowed in energy generation facilities in the parliamentary inquiry into “Sustainability of energy supply and resources in NSW” that reported to the NSW Government in August 2021. How will you act to implement the inquiry’s recommendations? The committee:…

NEFA and the EDO are to challenge the legality of the much hated NE NSW Regional Forest Agreement!

The much hated North East Regional Forestry Agreement (NE RFA) exempts logging in native forests from the federal biodiversity assessment and logging approval requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.   NEFA is asking the Federal Court to declare that the North East RFA does not validly exempt native forest logging from these federal biodiversity laws.  In order for an RFA to exempt native forest logging from the usual federal…

Burning wood for electricity doesn’t pass the pub* test [*Parliament]

North East Forest Alliance Media Release “The writing is on the wall for wood-fired power stations”, said NEFA spokesperson Susie Russell. “We are relieved that both Liberal and Labor politicians who participated in the parliamentary inquiry into “Sustainability of energy supply and resources in NSW” have recommended that native forest biomass not be allowed in…

Invitation for public comment on the draft National Recovery Plan for the Koala.

The Department of the Environment and Energy have drafted a “National Recovery Plan for the Koala.” “The National Recovery Plan for the Koala identifies national-level strategic actions to support recovery of the EPBC Act listed Koala.” The plan “sets out the research and management actions necessary to stop the decline, and support the recovery, of the…

World Environment Day Festival – Knox Park Murwillumbah

UN: “THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MORE URGENT NEED TO RESTORE DAMAGED ECOSYSTEMS THAN NOW.” UN Secretary General: “Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal. Biodiversity is collapsing. Ecosystems are disappearing before our eyes.” Ecosystems are the systems of inter-related, inter-dependent lifeforms on this planet. This year’s event launched “The UN Decade on…

Public Statement to Au & NSW.gov from AFCA et al [incl. CEC]: “Reject plans by Verdant Technologies to recommission Redbank Power Station.”

We call on the governments of NSW and Australia to reject plans by Verdant Technologies to recommission Redbank Power Station near Singleton and use native forest biomass as fuel.  Redbank operated as a coal-fired power station from 2001 to 2014 when it was mothballed after the company went into receivership.  The new owner, Verdant Technology,…

Your Native Forests Are To Be Used As Furnace Fuel For Electricity

Your Native Forests are to be industrially fed into electricity power station furnaces overseas – to replace the now banned coal – to boil water to turn turbines to make electricity to be used momentarily then it is gone. ‘Somehow’, The European Union have legaly declared that burning Native Forests as coal-replacement fuel for electricity generation…

Hope, Resilience and Healing for Humanity and the Earth – Workshop

A Work that Reconnects workshop at the Chillingham Community Centre on the 23rd of May Time: 8.30am-4.30pm. “We are living through difficult times, witnessing immense growing social injustices and the sixth mass extinction of life on Earth. Many of us feel called to act, and while political engagement is crucial, many are also asking, how do we…

The SEPP 2021 Explained

State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) (Koala habitat Protection) 2021, in the Ministers words:  1. SEPP21 Gets land zoned for primary production or forestry out of the SEPP “Land zoned for primary production or forestry in regional NSW will not be subject to the new SEPP.” 2. SEPP21 Gets the Koala-Habitat-Protection-Laws out of the SEPP  “Koala…

D Day for Koalas

Dailan Pugh, North East Forest Alliance. It is D Day in the Koala Wars, this is the day we need to turn around Koala’s extinction trajectory and begin their recovery. First we need to urgently identify where their core habitat is and then we need to protect it, to save Koalas we need to stop…

Submission – ‘Nightcap on Minjungbul’ (DA21/0010) Caldera Environment Centre

Submission opposing DA21/0010 ‘Nightcap on Minjungbul’. A concept development application (DA) was lodged with Tweed Shire Council on 14 January 2021 over land at 2924, 2956, 2984 and 3222 Kyogle Road, Kunghur & Mount Burrell, hereafter referred to as “the site”. The application seeks approval for: Integrated Development – staged concept development application under s4.22 of…

Local Koala Protest – National Day of Action

MEDIA RELEASENorthern Rivers Guardians Inc. Koala advocates demand Koala habitat protection The clouds parted and the sun was shining on koala advocates who gathered at Knox Park in Murwillumbah on Saturday, for the Northern Rivers Guardians (NRG) hosted #SaveOurKoalas Day of Action. The Murwillumbah event was one of many similar public gatherings scheduled to be held across…

NEFA: Forest Media

NEFA: Forest Media Koalas continue to be the key issue. Kean came under attack from the ALP and the right-wing shock-jocks when it was revealed that he had been strongly advised not to set a target for Koalas before he announced he was going to double their populations. He thought it was good politics. His…