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Don't burn their homes to heat yours
23/7/07

A pile of animals representing endangered species have this morning been torched outside the Rydges Hotel on Exhibition St, in a protest against the logging lobby’s push to burn Victoria’s native forests for power.

'Burning native forests for power is a primitive technology that belongs to the 17^th century, not the 21st ,' said Luke Chamberlain, forest campaigner for The Wilderness Society. 'The logging lobby is claiming that throwing native forests into furnaces is a renewable way to generate electricity. At a time when protecting forests is the best and most immediate climate change repair kit we have at hand, they are trying to influence government to incinerate them.'

'We fully support the government and industry's push for promoting renewable technologies, but including burning native forest woodchips completely contaminates the otherwise credible and progressive advances of the bionergy industry,' Mr Chamberlain said. 'As Australia's woodchip customers are now buying woodchips from plantations, our logging industry is looking for another reason to continue destroying our native forests'.

'Woodchipping is the driver, not the byproduct, of the native forest logging industry', said Environment East Gippsland's Sarah Rees. 'It is driving species to the point of extinction. Species such as the Sooty Owl, the Leadbeaters Possum and the Long Footed Potoroo all need old growth forests to survive. Giving another lifeline to the native forest logging industry will surely push many of our endangered species over the brink.'

'The Victorian state government has previously committed to exclude native forest wood in any Victoria's Renewable Energy Target scheme,' said Lauren Caulfield, spokesperson for the action. 'However, after pressure from the Victorian Association of Forest Products, legislation has been tabled that allows native forest woodchips to be burned for power. The legislation has yet to be passed, and environment groups strongly encourage the Bracks government to stick to its previous commitment.'

'Blind Freddie can see that burning forests for power is clearly not renewable,' Ms Rees said. 'The proposal is so absurd, it is laughable, were it not so devastating to our wildlife, our water supplies, and our greatest carbon stores, our forests”.

Forest blockades stop logging to stop greenhouse pollution
8/5/2007

Two blockades have stopped logging in high conservation value native forests, just two hours east of Melbourne this morning. Conservationists have blocked roads with ‘dragons’ and established tree platforms perched high in the forest canopy.

“Startling new science proves that forest protection is an essential part of any climate change action plan. Premier Bracks must protect Victoria’s forests and assist the logging industry’s rapid transition into Victoria’s existing plantation estate.”

“In 2004/05, Victoria destroyed 8995 hectares of native forests, releasing as much carbon into the atmosphere as putting an extra 2.4 million cars on the road in a year. To protect us from the impacts of dangerous climate change, this destruction must stop.

“Eighteen percent of global greenhouse pollution is caused by logging and tree clearing, even greater than the emissions of the global transport sector. The first, and easiest thing we should do to reduce greenhouse emissions is to stop logging and clearing.

“Trees are giant carbon pumps, sucking carbon from the air and pumping it into the ground, trunks and branches. Logging, soil disturbance and post logging burns release over half of this carbon back into the atmosphere.”

“The logging industry has been misleading the public by saying that logging is good for climate change because young re-growth forests suck up more carbon than old growth forests. However, the logging industry conveniently ignores the massive carbon loss that occurs when the original forest is logged.”

“It takes at least 150 years for a forest to be carbon neutral after logging, and as most of our logged forest ends up as woodchips, all of the carbon is lost within three years.”

Woodchip Truck Blockade in City
3/11/2006

Conservationists have blockaded a log truck bound for the Midway woodchip mill in Geelong this morning. A group of 20 people safely stopped the truck and two people have locked on, stopping it in Swan Street Richmond.

Spokesperson Mark Tyler says, "Every night while Melbourne sleeps, log trucks carrying trees from old growth forests, water catchments and endangered wildlife habitat, travel through the city bound for Geelong, where they are woodchipped and exported to Japan."

"The Bracks government should lead by example by protecting Melbourne's water catchments from woodchipping."

"While Victoria is in drought crisis and water restrictions are in force across the state, the Bracks government continues to allow logging in our water catchments."

"This costs Melbourne 1000 litres of water every second or $30 million dollars every year, based on the prices of water being sold in Melbourne."

"While the Bracks government tells us to conserve water, we are telling him to conserve it himself, instead of wasting millions of water by allowing logging in our catchments."

The action follows a report released by The Central Highlands Alliance showing that Melbourne is losing a Maroondah dam or 20 billion litres of water every year that logging is allowed to continue in the Thomson catchment, Melbourne's largest.

Gala Performance: Miss Management and Scott Free How Bracks beats the rap in Red Gum Forests
10/10/06

Environmentalists staged a slap-stick circus performance for Premier Bracks today, in which beauty pageant winner Miss Management plays the government's star red gum forest manager. Scott Free will be on hand to wipe away cases of illegal logging blunders with his trusty internal inquiries.

"Illegal logging blunders have become commonplace in the Barmah Forest, and yet all we get from the Bracks government are inquiries recommending more inquiries, it's farcical," said Friends of Earth Spokesperson Jonathan La Nauze.

"Our red gum forests are being mismanaged by a reckless department, and the Bracks government seems reluctant to reign them in," said Mr La Nauze.

Environment Groups have been urging the Environment Minister to meet them regarding the management of red gum forests, but he has failed to respond.

"Our red gum forests can't wait for another breach and another inquiry; Bracks must protect these forests from logging now," said Mr La Nauze. (photos)

Water catchment logging operations shutdown
25/9/06

Thirty conservationists have shut down logging operations in the Goongerah township water catchment east of Melbourne.

Logging operations have been halted by three tree platforms suspended in the canopy, as well as a tripod stopping access to the forest in which logging was taking place.

Spokesperson for the group Lauren Caulfield said ‘It is ludicrous to be logging water catchments such as this one when water restrictions are in force across most of the state. It is scientifically accepted fact that logging in water catchments dramatically reduces water supply to towns and cities.’

‘Victoria is a matter of months away from a state election, in which water supply and environmental issues will be at the fore, yet Premier Steve Bracks still refuses to acknowledge the elephant in the corner that is logging of our water catchments. Instead we are saddled with increasing water restrictions and the logging continues unrestricted.’

‘It is unacceptable that four out of five of Melbourne’s water catchments are currently being logged. The ALP are lagging behind, it is time for Bracks to act and stop logging in our states water catchments.’

‘Victorian communities and voters are up in arms at the allowance of logging in our water catchments and demand that Bracks act to protect our water supplies and forests.’ Said Ms Caulfield.

For media comment contact Lauren Caulfield 03) 51540156 (Melbourne contact Louise Morris 03) 94198700.

Woodchip Ship Stopped
25/7/06

Fifteen conservationists have entered Victoria’s largest export woodchip facility this morning, preventing the loading of a shipment of Victorian native forest woodchips bound for Japan.

The conservationists have ‘locked on’ to the conveyer belt and have boarded the ship.

The woodchip facility exports native forest woodchips from the East Gippsland region, where there has been a massive increase in logging in the Tambo forest management area. Logs are taken to Geelong by the train from Bairnsdale and are turned into woodchips at the docks before being exported to Japan.

“While local mills in East Gippsland are closing due to lack of logs, whole logs are being taken from the region to be exported as woodchips to Japan. Local people have being putting up with increased log trucks through town, and seeing our forests disappearing down the line on the train with absolutely no benefit to East Gippsland” said spokesperson Danya Brix.

“The Bracks government must act by protecting native forests from the export woodchipping industry before it’s too late. State Labor governments in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have recently moved to protect large areas of forests, yet the Bracks government allows this needless destruction and export of our native forests for a pittance,” she concluded.

Homeless parrots in the fire
18 August 2005

Call for a moratorium on logging Barmah State Forest in demonstration at Premier’s office

Photo opportunity, 1 Treasury Place East Melbourne Thursday 17 August 8:30am (photos)

Activists are today gathering at the Premier's Office to demand action over a logging breach in the iconic Barmah State Forest.

"The Department of Sustainability and Environment just illegally destroyed 15% of the Victorian breeding grounds of the nationally threatened Superb Parrot", said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson. "Bracks must stop this vandalism of Yorta Yorta traditional lands now."

Environmentalists and Yorta Yorta Traditional Owners will construct a mock lounge room outside Premier Bracks' office. Pyjama-clad campaigners will be sitting on a couch by the fire, tossing 'superb parrot logs' on to keep warm.

Every year Melbournians burn more than 115,000 tonnes of red gum firewood - some of that will come from illegally harvested superb parrot habitat.

"As Melbournians burn red gum to warm their homes, they are inadvertently burning the home of the threatened Superb Parrot," said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.

Afterwards, representatives will present a letter outlining their demands to the Premier's Office.

"We will be calling for an immediate moratorium on all logging in Barmah-DSE have proved they can't be trusted," said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.

Comments and Interviews available

Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth m: 0402 904 251

Henry Atkinson, Yorta Yorta Nation Elders Council m: 0415 287 263

Gunns Ltd Propsed Pulp Mill

Australian woodchipping Giant Gunns Ltd. is proposing to build a pulp mill at Longreach in the Tamar Valley, Tasmania. This means further clearfelling and burning of native forets, intensive burning regimes, aerial spraying and chemical use in water supply catchments and the use of 1080 poison. The proposed mill requires 30 years guaranteed access to Tasmania's native forests. Landclearing and forest destruction will also increase as new plantations are established to feed the mill. For more information on the mill proposal: Pulpmill General Fact Sheet.

Bowing to public outcry, the Resource Planning and Development Commission announced in mid-July that the public will have the opportunity to comment on Gunns’ revised and expanded pulp mill proposal.

The Federal Government, which has a separate approvals process for the pulp mill, has now requested an entirely new proposal from Gunns; once submitted, the new proposal will be opened for public comment. Dates have not been specified. Watch this space for further updates and information.

Public Response to Nippon Paper Group

As indicated in mid-2004, Mitsubishi Paper Mills recently announced that they would no longer buy woodchips from oldgrowth forests. Up until now, Mitsubishi has purchased approx 400,000 tonnes of Tasmanian woodchips annually. In the wake of Mitsubishi’s decision, another major consumer of Tasmanian woodchips, Nippon Paper Group, called for public comment to aid in the formulation the philosophy and basic policy on raw materials procurement. The comment period, which closed on 19 July, saw the lodging of submissions not only from conservationists, but also from Forestry Tasmania and industry lobby groups. Head of Forestry Tasmania, Evan Rolley, emailed all 850 employees of Forestry Tasmania suggesting they urgently, but privately, express their support for the logging of Tasmania’s native forests to Nippon (The Mercury, 21 July 2005). He has since left on a tour of Asian woodchip customers, to lobby for their continued role in the destruction of Tasmania’s high conservation value forests. He would be best to save his time and energy, and focus on assisting his industry transit out of relying on these forests. Nippon has not announced any date for the release of its new policy.

Forests and Free Speech: A National Tour

Tasmanian based timber company Gunns Ltd has made a name for itself on many fronts; the largest export wood chipper in Australia, it operates the southern hemisphere’s largest woodchip mill and is now taking legal action against 20 individuals and organisations to the sum of $6.35 million.

Determined not to be silenced, these dedicated campaigners are taking the issues raised by this lawsuit on the road, to the rest of Australia and overseas. Central to their concerns are issues that relate to all sectors of the Australian community who may need to speak out against corporate activities during their working or personal lives.

-Freedom of speech and democratic process
- The right to peaceful protest
- Corporate governance
- Opportunities for legislative reform
- The importance of Tasmania’s forests

The national tour will start its hectic schedule of events in late August in Southern Queensland then moving onto NSW in September, Victoria in October and through to South Australia and Western Australia in November.

Forums and public meetings held as part of the national tour will not only address the issues raised by this litigation, but also provide information on how to continue campaigning while staying safe, how to support the defendants in this case and strengthen the campaigns to protect both our forests and civil liberties.

The tour is being co-ordinated by Louise Morris (defendant #8) and Luke Chamberlain and will consist of presentations from a variety of defendants, legal identities, local activists and special guest celebrity appearances at the larger metropolitan centres.

For more information on the tour contact Louise Morris 0408 667 100, (03) 9662 2162

www.treedomfighters.org.au

Download: A3 Tour Poster

Download: Gunns August 2005 Bulletin