JAN 12, 08 — Nine anti-logging protesters remain locked to a road in the Upper Florentine Valley in southern Tasmania after refusing to leave their campsite.
Police are trying to break up the two-year-old protest camp so that Forestry Tasmania can begin roadworks and logging. Forty members of the group ‘Still Wild Still Threatened’ were camped in the area this morning when police arrived just after 8:30pm.
The imminent logging of the Upper Florentine forest is a national disgrace, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
“The Upper Florentine Forest has been deemed of World Heritage value. The imminent logging operation there is a national disgrace. Claims by Prime Minister Rudd that native forest logging is sustainable are patently stupid,” Senator Brown said.
The convoy reportedly contains 12 police cars, including two small buses with an estimated 30 police involved in the operation.
Senator Brown was flying over the site in a helicopter this morning, which was recalled to base following contact from the police. A large banner reading ‘Save our Forests’ can be seen from the sky.
Spokesman Christo Mills says police asked them to leave but they refused. Mr Mills says after a two hour stand-off 30 activists have now been removed, one has been arrested and nine remain locked to a road, according to reports on the ABC website.
“Forest defenders are continuing to hold their positions and will do so for as long as it takes,” he said.
Senator Bob Brown says police had better prepare for a long fight. “I think it will take quite a while to remove these folk…”
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RED ALERT!!!! CAMP FLORENTINE HAS BEEN BUSTED
RED ALERT!!!! CAMP FLORENTINE HAS BEEN BUSTED AND THE BULLDOZERS AND CHAINSAWS ARE MOVING IN RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Early this morning, police stormed a peaceful community blockade in the Upper Florentine Valley. Camp Florentine, located in logging coupe FO044A, has been defending the globally recognised old growth forests of the Upper Florentine for over two years.
This move by police is designed to allow Forestry Tasmania to build 4km of new logging roads into the heart of the valley. These roads will rip apart an ancient and globally significant ecosystem, opening up the valley to industrial scale devastation at the hands of woodchipping barons Gunns Limited.
THE BULLDOZERS AND CHAINSAWS ARE MOVING INTO THE PRISTINE FORESTS OF THE UPPER FLORENTINE VALLEY RIGHT NOW AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PEACEFUL COMMUNITY WALK IN THIS WEDNESDAY AT 10AM.
If you are living in Tasmania, please stand up and speak out against the destruction of our precious old growth forests. A community walk in will be held this Wednesday, 14th January 2009 at 10am. Meet at Timbs Track carpark, Upper Florentine Valley. To get to the Upper Florentine Valley, take the Brooker Highway out of Hobart, take the New Norfolk turnoff and follow the signs to Mt Field or Lake Pedder. Continue on through Maydena. Camp Florentine and Timbs Track are 20 minutes past Maydena on the side of the Gordon River Road.
WRITE TO THE POLLIES AND THE NEWSPAPERS. CALL UP YOUR LOCAL MP AND TALKBACK RADIO STATION.
Politicians need to know about your serious concerns with the destruction of the globally significant forests of the Upper Florentine Valley. Become an active citizen and exercise your democratic right to let the government know that old growth logging and the destruction of ancient ecosystems is unacceptable, and that serious changes to legislation and policy need to happen now!
Write a letter (every hand written letter is viewed as representing the opinions of 100 voters, so it’s certainly worth making the extra effort) or send an email to your local federal member and any (or all!) of the following members of parliament. Make an appointment with your local MPs … they are your employees and need to listen to your concerns.
Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper and call up talk back radio. Get the word out in the media!
The Tasmanian Government.
THE PREMIER OF TASMANIA
David Bartlett, MHA
Level 11. 15 Murray St. Hobart, TAS 7000
david.bartlett@education.tas.gov.au
THE LEADER OF THE LIBERAL PARTY, TASMANIAN DIVISION
Will Hodgman, MHA
Parliament House, Hobart, TAS 7000
will.hodgman@parliament.tas.gov.au
The Australian Government
THE PRIME MINISTER
The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP
PO Box 6022, House of Representatives
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Email via the PM.s website . www.pm.gov.au
THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP
PO Box 6022, House of Representatives
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Malcolm.Turnbull.MP@aph.gov.au
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, HERITAGE & THE ARTS
The Hon. Peter Garrett
PO Box 6022, House of Representatives
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Peter.garrett.MP@aph.gov.au
tellpeter@petergarrett.com.au
MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER
Senator The Hon. Penny Wong
PO Box 6237
Halifax Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Senator.wong@aph.gov.au
MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY
The Hon Tony Burke MP
PO Box 6022, House of Representatives
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENT & WATER
Mr Greg Hunt
PO Box 6022, House of Representatives
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Greg.Hunt.MP@aph.gov.au
Please contact us at stillwildstillthreatened@gmail.com for more info on what you can do to help us save the outstanding forests of the Upper Florentine Valley.
Donate online or at any Westpac Bank to the campaign to save these precious forests.
Account name: Tasmanias Southern Forests
BSB #: 737001.
Account #: 704815.
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“For the woodchippers. immense power threatens not only our forest, but Tasmania’s future. Not content with our great forests, their greed now destroys not only our natural heritage, but distorts our parliament, deforms our polity, cows our media and stunts our society . Have courage, speak of love, take action yourself, stand up for what you believe, and our world will surely change.”
Richard Flanagan
Speech made at a Parliament Lawns forests rally on 16 March, 2006. Hobart, Tasmania.