Hello Koala Lovers,

If you remember, in my last diary I wrote and asked the Prime Minister to repeal the Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002 which has been extended until 2039.

How people can think that anyone can guarantee wood supply (this is the purpose of the Act) to anyone with climate, fire and flood happening in our country is truly beyond me.

I did receive a reply, not from Minister Plibersek, but a bureaucrat in another department basically saying “all is well”.

He did not answer any of my questions and truly, even though I know the system is absolutely broken, it even shocked me at the disdain between the lines in that letter.

Due to protocol, I have over the years tried not to name names about some of these people who work in the departments. I have always tried to have a level of respect for those in our governments and I will not make that letter public. It does stick in my craw though and next week, I go to Canberra again. I am looking forward to meeting some members of the bureaucracy to discuss why they do it. What drives them to mislead and obfuscate the plight of the Koala?

There was also a very unflattering cartoon about the current Minister and I will leave you to judge its content. I love that she has a photo of a Koala on her wall.

Talk again next week from Canberra.

Regards,
Deborah