The group believes these burns are unnecessarily destructive and that burns in the forest should be modified to avoid burning critical habitat of threatened species.
Earlier this year the group was in the Federal Court arguing that the burns were likely to cause significant impact on the endangered southern greater glider — Australia’s largest gliding possum, which is listed under Australia’s national Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The court ultimately found against the claim, allowing the four burns to proceed.
Justice Christopher James Horan told the court he was not satisfied the burns would, or were likely to have, a significant impact on the gliders’ numbers.
He noted there was a “real chance the planned burns may kill or injure some individual gliders that are present in areas where the fire burns with higher severity”.
Justice Horan said such areas will constitute a relatively minor proportion (less than 2.5 per cent) of the planned burn areas, and an even smaller proportion of the Strathbogie State Forest as a whole.
However, the court also found that planned burns are not exempt from the EPBC Act.
The Strathbogie group says this decision provides a future pathway to challenge planned burns where they are likely to impact the glider and its habitat.
On August 20 and 21, the group will appeal that earlier decision, arguing the court made an error of law in allowing the four burns to proceed.
The two-day hearing will be live-streamed on the Federal Court’s YouTube channel.
