Supporters of forest protection activists Sharron Hodge and Juliet Lamont will gather outside the Coffs Harbour Court House this morning from 9am.
Both women were arrested on the roof of the Forestry Corporation building in Coffs Harbour on 22 April, as part of a group who occupied the roof of Forestry Corporation NSW. They have previously been involved in efforts to save forests in north-east NSW critical to the survival of endangered species.
Juliet Lamont was previously arrested trying to stop logging in critical koala habitat in Yarratt State Forest, north of Taree. She was unsuccessful, and the area has since been heavily logged.
Sharron Hodge has been conducting citizen science survey work in Bulga and Kiwarrak State Forests to identify important habitat for both koalas and the endangered Greater Glider. Despite these efforts, logging has gone ahead.
‘Our action on the roof was born from frustration and a sense of urgency that, despite government talk that they are protecting endangered species, they are doing no such thing,’ said Ms Lamont, who will be self-representing and pleading guilty.
‘We wanted to try and get the message to the broader community that things in the public forests are not okay . Intact forests are vital to hold back floodwaters, provide us with clean drinking water, and store carbon,’ she said.
‘I can’t believe that in a climate and biodiversity crisis, our so-called leaders continue to authorise and subsidise such destructive activities. Forestry Corporation’s half-yearly loss was $15 million. We are paying to destroy a vital public asset.’
Compelled
Sharron Hodge, who will also be self-representing and pleading guilty, said, ‘I felt compelled to take action to highlight the destruction caused by the Forestry Corporation in our native forests.
‘Greater gliders do not tolerate logging; they are already under pressure due to climate change and extreme fire events.
‘The greater glider is now endangered, along with the koala and other forest-dependent species,’ said Ms Hodge. ‘My fear is that if we don’t end native forest logging now, we will lose them forever.’
The women involved in the Coffs Harbour protest say they stand with growing communities across NSW demanding an end to native forest logging and real protection for the species and ecosystems we all depend on.
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