Phuong's Summer Show Podcast!
March for Native Forests - Rosemary Storey and Mel
On Sunday 23 March 2025, grassroots organisations and concerned members of the community gathered outside Peter Khalil's office in Coburg to stand up for native protests and protest logging, planned burns, and other forms of destruction. This rally, organised by the Bob Brown Foundation, took place in many other cities across so-called Australia, including Bryon Bay on Bundjalung Country and in Nipaluna/Hobart. We hear from: Rosemary Storey (Victorian Forest Alliance & Kinglake Friends of the Forest), Mel (Friends of Albert West Forest & Victorian Forest Alliance) and the Climate Choir Melbourne.
Lisa Barrand - Gippsland Forest Guardians (Part 1)
Lisa Barrand is a founding member of the Gippsland Forest Guardians, a small team working with the community to protect Gippsland's forests for future generations of animals, plants and people. The following conversation is from our first interview on 29 April 2025 when Lisa was on the show to talk about the campaign to protect the critically endangered slender tree-fern and the destruction of native forests caused by increased pine plantations. In addition, a complaint by Gippsland Forest Guardians to the Forest Stewardship Council about concerns with HVP's protection of Rare and Threatened Species led to significant non-conformances and so Lisa talks through the background to the complaint.
Aawa - Kinglake Friends of the Forest
On May 20 2025 we spoke to Aawa from Kinglake Friends of the Forest (KFF). KFF is a volunteer community group committed to protecting native forests and relishing the joy of their unique biodiversity. In the following conversation we spoke about the campaign to save over 600 hectares of forest in Toolangi from a planned burn and the threats to the survival of forests caused by Forest Fire Management Victoria. On 2 June 2025, KFF released a statement sharing the news that the Glenburn-Eagles Nest planned burn would not proceed this year, however FMMV have not removed this burn from their planning.
Juliet Lamont
On 3 June we were joined by Juliet Lamont, a frontline activist for climate, forests and Palestine. Juliet's work is grounded in intersectionality and aims to always be First Nations led when working on stolen land. She is also an award-winning filmmaker. Juliet was one of two women arrested on the roof of the Forestry Corporation building in Coffs Harbour on April 22, as part of a group of women who occupied the roof of Forestry Corporation NSW.
Lisa Barrand - Gippsland Forest Guardians (Part 2)
Lisa Barrand from Gippsland Forest Guardians joined us again on October 14 to give us an exciting development regarding Fellas coupe and the future of the Strzelecki Forests.
Nicola Silbert - Environmental Justice Australia
Nicola Silbert is Senior Lawyer at Environmental Justice Australia, specialising in threatened species and nature protection. On December 2, Nicola joined us on the show to discuss the news that the Labor Government struck a deal with the Greens to pass changes made to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. She spoke to us about these reforms and what impacts they will have on the protection of the environment is Nicola Silbert.
Songs:
Black Smoke - Emily Wurramara
Goolengook - Kate Grealy
Loving and Caring - Ripple Effect Band
