Surprise must have struck Sunday Age readers last week after innuendos, assertions and claims were fired at VicForests in these pages.

Certainly, reasonable belief would have been tested by apparent revelations that Victoria’s native forests sector – perhaps our most intensely regulated industry – was left unbridled to defile all manner of harvesting codes and provisions.

VicForests says its work protects and preserves habitat ranges.

In fact, the native timber industry in Victoria makes a sustainable social and economic contribution through a record of compliance. VicForests harvests and regrows a renewable, carbon friendly product that is superior to the carbon footprints of alternate manufactured materials and of many imported timbers.

Victoria enjoys 7.9 million hectares of Crown land, of which 7.1 million hectares is State Forest, Parks and conservation reserves and other reserves.