Local forest and wildlife protectors gathered at Richmond MP Justine Elliot’s office in Tweed Heads on Friday to call for immediate protection of remaining public native forests.
The rally was part of a nation-wide call to end native forest logging, with Northern Rivers locals adding their voices to the growing call to securely protect our remaining forests for public good.
Speakers at the rally highlighted the need to lock in real timeframes for transition away from native forest logging, to a fully plantation based timber industry. ‘The transition needs to start immediately to ensure our native forests are securely protected prior to the next federal election, and we need to ensure that no further public funding goes into propping up this dinosaur industry,’ said Valerie Thompson.
‘We call on Justine Elliot to support this position at the forthcoming national Labor conference, so that her words get matched by real action on climate.’
With the recent loss of ancient forest pockets in the Gully of the Giants at Doubleduke, and the impending logging of koala habitat in amongst the burnt forests at Braemar and Myrtle State Forests, activists say this change couldn’t come soon enough for the region.
A fighting chance
‘We need to give our koalas, yellow-bellied gliders, great owls and other iconic forest species a fighting chance to survive in these changing environmental conditions,’ said local Bob Brown Foundation organiser Violet.
‘Adding logging into the mix is a very bad idea whose time is well and truly up,’ she added.
‘Securing forest protection is real climate action and will take forest species off the path to extinction,’ said Jenny Webber of the Bob Brown Foundation. ‘It’s a crucial time for people to stand up for native forest protection to end the destruction, and demand action to save what is left of our forests and wildlife.’
The Tweed event was followed by an End Native Forest logging rally in Lismore on Saturday.
Environmental statesman Bob Brown also addressed the national rallies. ‘Knowing that there are more than enough plantations to meet all of Australia’s wood needs, are we going to be the generation to put a stop to the forest carnage?’ he asked.
Don’t support local hardwood logging but it’s a shame this protest is not grass roots but pushed by the greens for political mileage. The only issue they haven’t raised is most hardwood is imported, so it’s okay to log third world countries?
Yes Rod, pity the terrible forest/habitat destruction in PNG and Indonesia if yet another of these populist ‘Vibes’ goes ahead.
Of course we should immediately stop all forms of logging native forests, the irresponsible Greens who are obviously behind this protest would obviously then compensate all the local businesses, the local economy and workers who are immediately put out of business. Logging of native forests has been in decline across Australia for many years, with the Labor States leading the way, it can’t be done over night without major economic damage to regional communities, something the dangerous Greens just couldn’t care less about.
No Keith, as usual everything will be fully paid by the increased ‘eco-tourism’.
[We’ve all heard that lie before.]
Well, Keith, I would never presume to have your knowledge of what the Greens intend.
I do agree, wholeheartedly with you, that it would be idiotic to compensate all those who have been pillaging the native forests for decades, while ” native forests has been in decline across Australia for many years” these scum have been destroying what is left of our natural heritage with impunity.
It is time to call these vandals to account, they should be heavily fined and their ill-gotten gains confiscated as proceeds of crime.
You are also correct in that, ” it can’t be done overnight ” because although it is obvious all logging should be immediately ceased the investigations into how this immoral, tax-payer funded industry has been allowed to operate and continue to drive the greatest rate of extinctions the World has known, will take time and possibly a Royal Commission.
Cheers, G”)
Keith’s post was partially satire, Ken.
As hard as it apparently seems – you just can’t seem to understand the hypocritical stupidity of your continued doctrinaire views over NSW Forests management & sustainability.
I strongly suggest you slide off your comfy armchair, ‘go bush’ and actually talk to a practical Forrester.
It may well change your whole life & present rite opinions with learning the truth.
It’s really just another prime example of the opportunistic, non-achieving Greens grandstanding and never missing an opportunity to bash Justine Elliott, even when the forestry industry is not Federally controlled, it’s always been a State controlled industry. Shame on the Greens.
Keith, shock horror. “Its all the Greens fault”, again. Rofl.
But Keith, the great state of A L P Victoria and t he Greens are a bit smarter than you –
‘Victoria to End Native Forest Logging
By Tasmanian Times, posted on May 23, 2023’
“The Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) has welcomed the announcement of the State Government’s decision to bring forward the end of native forest logging to January 2024. The end date will be accelerated from 2030 to the start of next year through additional $200 million of measures announced in Tuesday’s State Budget.”
But Keith, wait there’s more…
‘Media release
Tas Greens MPs
Media release – Cassy O’Connor MP, Greens Leader, 23 May 2023’
“IT’S TIME FOR TASMANIA TO FOLLOW VICTORIA AND WA, AND END NATIVE FOREST LOGGING
Like all who are desperate for action in a time of climate and biodiversity crisis, the Greens are so relieved to see the Victorian government commit to ending native forest logging by 1 January next year.
Even Daniel Andrews gets it.”
But as usual our clueless Keith somehow manages to keep grabbing at his quiver of anti-Greens phobia straws.
Keith, Keith, Keith, do yourself a favour, stop regurging the talking points supplied to you by your handlers at ALP HQ, they are making you look a fool, again.
Happy to help, again.
Just more background noise again Joachim, but you did finally manage to get something at least partially right, it is the Greens fault, need any more reality checks old son?, I’m not happy to help but I will.
Keith, Keith, Keith, can’t be done can it, STOPPING logging of native forests. Except of course Victoria gunna do it from 1/1/2024!
Keith, we can feel your pain, as one ALP State / Dan the Man’s Victoria does the right thing as another ALP State / Chris Minus NSW keeps criminally chopping away.
Calling the Keith, Dan can stop but the Chris can’t….you’ve got nothing, as usual for you.
Keith, best check back immediately with your handlers at ALP HQ and come up with some new talking points. Keith, those jokers of yours at ALP HQ have left you…out on a limb ( pun intended ) to be cut down.
Oh, the pain of it all Keith, we feeling your pain. O U C H!
Oh God, another juvenile repetitive robo-call, from another “World renowned environmental warrior”; that conglomeration of utter nonsense is unworthy of any sort of a dignified reply, tell someone who want’s to listen to your Green propaganda, and try pinching yourself a bit harder you just might wake up, see through your self-inflected pain, and see reality for once.
“We call on Justine Elliot to support this position at the forthcoming national Labor conference, so that her words get matched by real action on climate.”
We could agitate for Tamara and Mandy to urge the Greens national conference to adopt some more realistic stances on all sorts of issues – eg the HAFF – but would we ever know what they said?
Lizardbreath, reverting to form with divert and distract away from the issue at hand.
Joachim, how would we know what goes on at Greens national conference?
Reverting to your same old clichéd responses. My English teacher told me to avoid clichés like the plague!
Mr Lizardbreath, it’s highly unlikely the Greens would even know what goes on at the Greens National conference, my politics teacher once told me to avoid the Greens like the plague LOL.
Correction to the headline.
29 people, some of whom could be Tweed locals call on Justine Elliot to support an end to native forest logging.
There, fixed.
Jimie, your not insinuating that the Greens would bus in out of towners to stage a protest, and the Echo would not mention it are you?
Not a chance of that happening….
Very well noted Jimie but I would suggest:
“ 29 people, some of whom could be Tweed locals ( many carrying Green placards) call on Justine Elliot to support an end to native forest logging even though it is a state issue”
The Green are making a real push for the seat of Richmond on the basis of the need for good cross bench influence in a minority government. Well the Green have the balance of power in NSW but seem incapable of doing much sledging from the sidelines.