Media Release - 23 February 2009

Workplace Health and Safety Pursues Triabunna Activists,

Legal Blitz Questioned

   Ula Majewski, an activist involved in December's peaceful direct action at Gunns Limited Triabunna woodchip mill,  has received correspondence from Workplace Standards Tasmania (attached) interrogating her over her role in the action.

" The Triabunna action was undertaken to draw attention to the climate change impacts of the Gunns-driven destruction of ancient forest. As a result, activists have been arrested, sued, labelled as terrorists, personally abused by well known logging industry identities, and are now being interrogated with a blatant misuse of Workplace Health and Safety laws," Huon Valley Environment Centre Spokesperson Warrick Jordan said.

" In the past week, law abiding Tasmanians  and their families who attended peaceful rallies in the Upper Florentine have had Tasmania Police turning up on their doorstep and questioning them as to why they were standing on a public road or in a public forest. Now we have Workplace Standards questioning activists as to why a credit card was used to hire a vehicle," Warrick Jordan said.

"These moves smack of intimidation. Public institutions who's role is to protect the public and protect workers from unsafe working conditions are being used as a tool to intimidate Tasmanians from speaking up over the destruction of old growth forest," Warrick Jordan said.

" The Bartlett Government cannot expect to stir up conflict over forests by logging in iconic valleys such as the Styx, Weld and Upper Florentine, and by pushing though widely unpopular plans such as the Tarkine Road, and then cause further division by misusing public institutions to intimidate ordinary Tasmanians without expecting a public outcry," Warrick Jordan said.

" The directors of Gunns Limited should take a long hard look at the safety of their own workers rather than supporting the spurious misuse of workplace safety laws. Robin Gray and colleagues are happy to weasel their way out of responsibility for the safety of their workers when they are pursued by Workplace Standards, yet expect Workplace Standards to do their bidding ," Warrick Jordan said. ( links to Gunns Workplace Safety investigations below)

"Late last year The Minister for Workplace Relations, Lisa Singh, stated that there should be no political interference in the legal operation of the Workplace Health and Safety Act . Ms Singh was responding to a call from Robin Gray to change legislation in Gunn's favour. We would hope to see that this position still stands," Warrick Jordan said.

" In 2006 Workplace Standards attempted to lay charges over a forest blockade in the Weld Valley, and a peaceful occupation of Forestry Tasmania's head office. The DPP found these charges to be without foundation. So why are we seeing a repeat performance in 2009?"

Warrick Jordan said.