A rally will be held in Lismore this Saturday, 12 August at 12 noon to protest the logging of native forests as part of a nationwide three day campaign being put together by the Bob Brown Foundation. The rally will be held at the Lismore Quadrangle, Magellan Street, Lismore and aims to call a national end to state based native forest logging, and raise awareness of the truth behind the logging industry.
Wildlife depends on state forests
Old growth state forests are essential, they provide a home to hundreds of threatened species. If these forests continue being logged and destroyed, and if we continue on this path, we may suffer a nationwide ‘eco collapse’.
Not only are Australia’s native forests essential for the preservation of wildlife, but they act as carbon sinks to store greenhouse gasses. Australia’s native forests are some of the most carbon dense in the world, and their destruction is directly contributing to the climate crisis.
‘We need our state forests to support our already delicate ecosystem,’ said climate activist, Violet Coco.
‘We’re in a climate and ecological emergency and we need to be supporting our ecosystems.’
The logging industry, running on a deficit
The logging industry loses more money than it brings in, costing New South Wales taxpayers $20 million every year.
After the floods in Lismore, the government even subsidised money that was meant to be used to repair public roads, and built logging roads instead.
The halt of native forest logging in Victoria is a step in the right direction, showing that the end of deforestation in our forests is not only necessary, but feasible. Though this was a victory for the state, it lead to more loggers moving to and operating in New South Wales, which is leading to an increased rate of deforestation.
‘This is the only time we have, in a couple years it’s going to be too late to shift this trajectory’, Violet Coco declared.
‘It is now or never’
A rally will be held at Coffs Harbour on Friday 11, 10am at Brelsford Park opposite Coles. Rallies are also taking place in Ulludulla, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane.
To register or learn more about the Rally for Forests Campaign, go to https://defendthegiants.org/
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