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Byron Shire
June 28, 2026

Swift parrots surround tree sitter amid new calls for forest protection

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Casino Suspension Bridge opens

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Tree sitter stops logging in Tasmanian forest protest yesterday. Photo supplied.

The legendary environmentalist Bob Brown is calling for urgent action as humanity faces the greatest natural catastrophe in our history, with three quarters of Earth’s wildlife now destroyed.

Yesterday morning, a forest protester stopped logging by occupying a treesit at a logging site surrounded by critically endangered swift parrots.

Swift parrots are feeding in a forest where logging has been flattening their habitat, but yesterday the logging was halted by tree sitter Monique Ker, who climbed atop a hollow bearing tree in Tasmania’s ancient forests with a plea to halt the destruction of endangered species habitat.

Tasmanian forest protest yesterday. Photo supplied.

Catastrophe

Veteran environmentalist Bob Brown says the World Wildlife Fund’s latest estimate that 73 per cent of Earth’s wildlife has been destroyed by human action in the last 50 years flags the greatest natural catastrophe on Earth in human history.

‘The horror is that the primary causes of the catastrophe are known but are being pumped to greater destruction by corporate and government leaders around the world, including Australia, not least Tasmania,’ said Bob Brown.

‘The treesit protest today in Tasmania’s Central Highlands is calling for an end to native forest logging and immediate eviction of logging machines from this 111 hectare forest that is being logged for woodchips.

‘These forests, wedged between the Nive River and Lake Binney conservation area, are habitat for Tasmanian devils, Quolls, blue-winged parrots and masked owls. Swift Parrots, on the brink of extinction, are here right now in these forests.’

Police at Tasmanian forest protest yesterday. Photo supplied.

Meeting requested

Bob Brown has written to Prime Minister Albanese to request a meeting.

‘The WWF report is a riveting call for major action from us all. In our lifetimes, three-quarters of Earth’s wildlife has been eradicated by human action.

‘Australia is an unnecessary contributor to this rolling disaster which is leading to a harrowingly depleted world of nature for our children,’ said Bob Brown, in his letter to Prime Minister Albanese.



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Byron’s Winter Whales raise $43,000

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Conservationists welcome carbon credit scheme to protect forests

Today’s release of the government’s proposed Improved Native Forest Method, which allows governments to claim carbon credits in return for stopping logging has been welcomed by the North East Forest Alliance and North Coast Environment Council as "providing a way to end native forest logging on public land".