19.2.12
TODAY marks the beginning of a global 24 hours of action in support of Miranda Gibson, who has now broken the Tasmanian record for the longest time spent at the top of a tree.
Miranda has been on a platform 60m above the ground for 52 days and will remain there to highlight the ongoing destruction of Tasmania’s forests.
Her tree sit, known as The Observer Tree, has received international attention over the past 52 days as she uses solar power and internet access to bring Tasmania’s spectacular forests into people’s homes all around the world.
The Observer Tree is calling on the Japanese customers of logging corporation Ta Ann to cease purchasing wood coming from Tasmania’s high conservation value forests.
Yesterday the Bellingen Environment Centre initiated a rally in support of Miranda and also to raise awareness about the loss of habitat locally.
BEC spokeswoman Caroline Joseph said Bellingen Shire residents were increasingly worried about their own forests.
“The intensity of logging has increased locally as Forests NSW tries to keep up with its quotas,” Mrs Joseph said.
“People can see that increase and are feeling concerned about this dramatic loss of habitat, especially for koalas.”
She said another habitat threat was to tracts of land zoned for development under old legislation.
“This land is not covered by newer environmental protection laws and is highly desirable to developers.”