The morning after Western Australia legislated to ban logging, in Tasmania the logging of ancient forests was halted by another daily protest calling on political leaders to save this ancient forest and forests across the state from further destruction.
Two local Franklin community members locked onto each other yesterday, blocking the road which accesses the controversial logging in Tasmania’s Central Highlands.
Alison Viner and Archie Donley said they were taking direct action for forest protection in this state election with a message to voters.
‘I’m here to protect native forests, to call for an end to native forest logging. There’s no sustainability in logging native forests. There’s no justifiable reason for native forest logging, particularly today in the high country of Tasmania, where the forest is old and grows slowly,’ said Alison Viner.
‘We’re here today because we have an election coming up in Tasmania, and we ask all Tasmanians to think carefully about their vote and who will protect the forest best this election,’ she said.
Fellow lock-on Archie Donley said, ‘There’s the state election coming up, and it’s really important that people take the state election seriously and vote for a party that will protect the native forests in Tasmania.
‘I live in Tasmania, and we’re here today to give support to the young people. We see so many young people out in the forests giving their time getting arrested, where I’m in my seventies, my partner, Alison, is in her sixties.
‘We feel so bad that we’re part of the reason why climate change is here, why the forests have been destroyed, and we’re doing our bit to show that we’ve got support for the young people,’ said Mr Donley.
Endangered species at risk
Erik Hayward, Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaigner, says he’s taking action with community members from across Australia.
‘The majestic emblem of Tasmanian skies, the Tasmanian wedge tailed eagle is Australia’s largest raptor,’ said Mr Hayward. ‘It is endangered and only occurs in Tasmania. It lives in the forests we are here defending today, right next to the globally acclaimed Lake St.Clair – Overland Track.
‘The Tasmanian Liberal Rockliff Government is logging these native forests and destroying endangered species habitat. There are trees in this forest that have been standing for hundreds of years. This industrial logging operation is ecocide,’ he said.
‘Out here in the forests, we are standing alongside our Aboriginal Palawa community of Lutruwita. This land has been stolen and is now being crushed to the ground for a quick return.
‘This election, we call on Tasmanians to vote to protect nature. Our message to voters is, make a stand against the status quo and choose with your vote to defend the mighty eagles.’
WA vs Tasmania
‘Leaving Tasmanian Labor for dust and shame, yesterday, the Western Australia Parliament passed a bill enshrining the state’s native forest logging ban in law,’ said Jenny Weber, Campaigns Manager from Bob Brown Foundation.
‘In a breath of fresh air, WA Labor Environment Minister stated that “ensuring our South West native forests are managed for their long-term health in the face of climate change. These are exceptional places, and they deserved to be protected for future generations to enjoy”.
‘Meanwhile Tasmania’s Dean Winter is embarrassingly backing the ongoing climate heating logging practices here on our island,’ said Jenny Weber. ‘Worse still, in recent days, he has called for weakening national environment laws to allow the destruction of Takayna, Robbins Island and Macquarie Harbour.
‘It is the citizens who are standing up and protecting the forests from such dangerous destruction. Today again, the peaceful protests are underway in the forests,’ said Ms Weber.
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