18.9 C
Byron Shire
March 30, 2023

Police attempt to remove forest protector so ‘Gully Giants’ can be logged

Latest News

Is polluting a lake in a national park to support new housing ok?

From Byron Bay to Evans Head to Casino the questions about how we deal with what is politely termed ‘effluent’, and how that may or may not destroy our local environment, demand real and urgent answers.

Other News

Byron Bay NRMA to close March 31

According to owners, Warren and Dennise Simmons, NRMA does not consider the agency financially viable, with the increasing volumes of online sales and transactions.

Drill Hall / Fun / Repeat

Experienced Director and theatre worker, Susan Melhuish, is bringing Mark Ravenhill’s politically charged Shoot/ Get Treasure/ Repeat to the Drill Hall Theatre for three nights as part of the Company’s free Member Nights. Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat opened at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2007 co-produced by The National Theatre, Gate Theatre and Royal Court Theatre.

No chance of change

Sadly, David Heilpern’s well-written missive regarding non-compliant dog owners in Byron Shire will achieve absolutely nothing. The fact is,...

The May Day 

Forget the first, 6 May is the day that Luna Wine Store welcomes 30 of Australia’s most exciting winemakers and natural wine importers to the region for the Full Moon Natural Wine Festival at the Eltham Hotel.

$200k in grants available for local not-for-profits

The inGrained Foundation has announced a $200,000 funding pool for the 2023 Northern Rivers Large Grants Program, opening this April.

Feros stolen

The Feros board have failed to explain why the existing buildings cannot be redeveloped as a purpose-built, top-of-the-range, aged-care...

View over Valerie’s boots at the logging taking place in Doubleduke State Forest. Photo supplied

The magnificent old trees in a grove known as the Gully of the Giants are still standing this morning. They might not be so lucky tomorrow. The trees are part of Doubleduke State Forest, west of Evan’s Head, being logged under the auspices of the NSW Government’s Forestry Corporation.

Logging couldn’t go ahead this morning because yesterday, Save Banyabba’s Koalas Valerie Thompson, bought teh ‘Gully Giants’ a reprieve. Logging was unable to commence due to the logging machinery having been ‘captured’ by the ropes suspending Valerie’s tree platform.

‘I relish the opportunity to spend the night in the forest. I’m hoping I will hear a forest owl or the screech of a yellow-bellied glider, or maybe the bellow of a koala,’ said Valerie. 

‘These animals are why I’m here. They depend on the hollows in these old trees to survive. When the trees go, the animals will go too. It could be 100 years until there are trees big enough to provide the size hollows they need.

Some ‘Giants’ already gone

‘At the moment it’s not looking good. We had hoped that the Forestry Corporation would leave these giants, but we’ve seen one on a log truck and another in the log dump.

‘I felt compelled to do something, hoping against hope that as a result of my helping to bring this travesty to public attention someone in authority might be prepared to negotiate. I understand a formal complaint is being submitted today about Forestry’s breaches and calling for an immediate Stop Work Order. I’d be happy to free the machines if they’ll let the old trees live in peace.’

As Valerie sits in the tree waiting for the police to do the bidding of the Forestry Corporation, Greens Senator Janet Rice, is introducing legislation into the Federal Parliament to end native forest logging. 

The Ending Native Forest Logging 2023 Bill ‘If passed, will immediately halt the destruction of Australia’s precious native forests and close the loophole used by the logging industry to skirt our national environment laws,’ said Senator Rice.

Valerie said that according to the Australian National University survey the majority of Australians want the logging of native forests to stop. 

‘I feel despair as the special forest places are destroyed one by one. But it is not happening in my name. In fact a community attitude survey from the Australian National University showed that the overwhelming majority of Australians from all walks of life, all ages and all parts of the country, want our native forests protected. It goes without saying people even more strongly about the big old trees.

‘In this time of climate and biodiversity crises, and as a mother, I believe we all need to be the Lorax. We all need to speak for the trees, even if it comes at some personal cost.

‘Today, Senator Janet Rice is introducing legislation into the Federal Parliament to end native forest logging. The day will come, I fervently hope there are still some forest giants left when the decision is finally made,’ Valerie said.


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

6 COMMENTS

  1. Thank you for doing the story today even though you’ve done stories on Doubleduke before. These giant trees deserve to be seen and witnessed if they are to be destroyed.

  2. There you go the Government is allowing Big Corp to destroy the land and they will blame the people for the greenhouse effect !!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Appeal to locate man last seen at Casino on way to Tweed

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man from Grafton missing from the North Coast area.

Do you still need help to get two rooms fixed after the 2022 flood?

More than 80 Lismore residents have had help getting a few rooms in their flood-impacted homes re-sheeted and habitable following the devastating 2022 floods.  The...

$15,000 fine and warnings over illegal logging in Kyogle Shire

Urbenville-based logging company Rojech Pty Ltd were fined $15,000 earlier this month over logging operations near the entrance to the Border Ranges National Park in Kyogle Shire.

No street gathering policy for Ballina Shire

A majority of Ballina Shire councillors have voted against a Greens-led motion for a new policy enabling resident-led street closures for gatherings and play.