Styx Cable Logging

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Styx Cable Logging

Logging operations were stopped for the day in old growth forest in the Styx Valley while 40 conservationists in Hobart CBD marked out the shape of the 72 hectare Styx Valley logging coupe.

"It took over two hours for 40 people to mark the giant area that is getting clearfelled in the Styx Valley right now. This massive coupe represents just one of 290 native forest logging coupes on public land that Premier Bartlett will decimate this financial year." spokesperson Ed Hill said.

Follow this link to view the superimposed map.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104810591614740617850.000475536382bbb370da0&z=16

"This logging site in the Styx Valley doesn't look much different to illegal logging sites in Indonesia, the difference being that logging of rainforest in Tasmania is legal." Mr Hill said.

"Tasmania should be world leader in sustainable forestry; instead Premier Bartlett is clearfell cable logging huge swathes of old growth forest right to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area boundary."

"As the logging industry faces major cut backs and stagnant markets it is obvious there is necessity for re-invention. Cable logging is out dated, highly destructive, and clearly not the sustainable direction the industry needs to be heading.” Said Mr Hill.

MORE FLORENTINE CHARGES DROPPED

Police question credibility of FT staff

Charges of assault and public nuisance against forest protestors in the Upper Florentine have been dropped in Hobart magistrate’s court today. Natalie Keene, 31 of Hobart, Ali Alishah, 25 of Hobart and Lee Sargent 29 of Kaoota had charges of assault and public nuisance dropped and Lauren Platzer, 23 of Kaoota, had her public nuisance charge dropped.

Principal legal officer Mark Miller made a statement in court that questioned the credibility of Forestry Tasmania employees involved in the incident as they used their cars to block a road preventing peaceful protesters from leaving the area. Mr Miller also made it clear that no peaceful protester was committing a nuisance or assault as Forestry Tasmania staff claimed.

"Once again we're seeing Forestry Tasmania leading the police down the garden path to once again make wrongful arrests of peaceful forest defenders. Premier Bartlett must resolve this issue and engage with forest campaigners rather than leaving it up to Tasmania police who have repeatedly had to drop charges due to FT’s incompetence and misleading claims that have led to dozens of wrongful arrests.

Forestry Tasmania is a government enterprise out of control; Premier Bartlett must pull them into line and resolve the continual cycle of his police force being misled and making wrongful arrests." Said spokesperson Ed Hill.

"This situation exemplifies Forestry Tasmania's approach to dealing with the public, lie, intimidate and misuse the law. Premier Bartlett must insist FT change the way they do business and resolve the ongoing conflict by giving ancient forests the protection the deserve whilst ensuring a sustainable future for the timber industry by making use of existing plantations." Said spokesperson Ed Hill.

"When this incident occurred in May this year Still Wild Still Threatened consistently stated that these charges were blatantly wrongful and would be thrown out in court. Peaceful forest defenders have been presumed guilty until proven innocent when they've been innocent all along. FT and the State government have vilified forest defenders for their supposed illegal actions and once again they've been found to be legal. Premier Bartlett needs to recognise community concern over the destruction of the Upper Florentine rather than accepting the advice of incompetent and untruthful employees of FT." Said Mr Hill.

"Mr Miller's comments about this incident make it clear that FT staff were the only people committing a nuisance by illegally detaining forest protesters using a government vehicle to block an access road. Still Wild Still Threatened is currently seeking legal advice over the potential for police to charge FT staff with public nuisance." Said Mr Hill.

"Today's decision by the police to not proceed with the charges vindicates the right of our community to peacefully stand up for Tasmania's ancient forests." Concluded Mr. Hill.

MORE FLORENTINE PROTEST CHARGES TO BE DROPPED

Accusations of assaulting Forestry Tasmania staff unfounded

Tasmania police are today dropping assault and public nuisance charges against four conservationists, arrested in the Upper Florentine last May. Principal legal officer for the police, Mr Mark Miller, will make a statement on the reasons for discontinuing the prosecution against defendants Alishah, Keene, Platzer and Sargent in the Hobart Magistrates Court today at 11.30am in Court No. 4.

“Protests in the Upper Florentine have always been peaceful. Still Wild Still Threatened is committed to peaceful protest and despite Forestry Tasmania’s attempts to discredit the environment movement by making unfounded accusations of violence, we will continue to stand up and peacefully protest against the brutal violence that is logging of ancient forests.” Said spokesperson Ed Hill.

“The forest defenders whose charges have been dropped have constantly maintained their innocence and today Tasmania police will confirm this. Forestry Tasmania needs to stop leading Tasmania police down the garden path and stop using their politically driven influence that leads police to make wrongful arrests.” Said spokesperson Ed Hill.

On Monday, prosecutions against another 16 Florentine protesters were adjourned so that the police could seek advice from the Crown Law office and DPP regarding Forestry Tasmania's claim that another exclusion zone had been found.

CAMP FLORENTINE OUT OF EXCLUSION ZONE

Over 90 wrongful trespass charges

Conservation group Still Wild Still Threatened have today revealed that the Camp Florentine protest camp has never been in an exclusion zone. The protest has maintained a constant presence in the area since 2006. Forestry Tasmania has consistently stated that the camp is illegal and is situated in an exclusion zone.

Surveyor’s maps of the area clearly show that the protest site and all associated tree sits and other sites of protest activity fall outside the exclusion zone.

Last week it was revealed that Forestry Tasmania had bungled the mapping of the exclusion zone meaning a large area where the majority of protest has occurred in the last three years is outside the exclusion zone. The first arrests occurred in February, 2007 and since then Still Wild Still Threatened estimates that there has been over 90 charges of trespass laid against community members. In light of the exclusion zone being mapped incorrectly all of these people may now appeal against their conviction. "Forestry Tasmania’s incompetence and the inaccurate information they gave police means that the protest site is not in the exclusion zone and not a

single trespass charge against peaceful protesters has ever been legitimate."Said spokesperson Ed Hill.

"Forestry Tasmania’s staggering bungle raises serious doubts about their ability to manage our state’s forests and highlights their lack of accountability as they blindly led police and the State Government to believe that protests in the area were illegal." Said Mr.Hill. "A massive police operation that lasted the entire month of May drained police resources and tied up the force across the state, just to facilitate Forestry Tasmania’s decimation of ancient forest. Tasmania police acted as the public escorts for Forestry Tasmania and blindly followed their directions about where the exclusion zone begins. Tasmania police should have verified the location of the exclusion rather than accepting Forestry Tasmania’s inaccurate information and making wrongful arrests." Said Mr.Hill.

"The State Government has vilified forest protesters for their supposed illegal actions when in fact they’ve been legal all along. Premier Bartlett should apologise to concerned members of the public who have stood up for Tasmania’s forests and wrongfully been arrested and charged, due to the incompetency of the State owned business enterprise Forestry Tasmania." Said
Ed Hill.

WRONGLY CONVICTED UPPER FLORENTINE PROTESTERS URGED TO APPEAL

Over 90 former defendants to be contacted

Conservationists convicted of trespass in the Upper Florentine valley will be contacted and urged to appeal against their convictions, according to Still Wild Still Threatened.

The organisation that spearheaded protests in the old growth forests of the Upper Florentine said that more than 90 charges of trespass have been laid and gone before the courts since February 2007. Still Wild Still Threatened will put a call out via the internet sites Facebook and Myspace, as well as email contact lists, to the 90 plus people arrested in the Upper Florentine for trespass, including many international visitors, urging them to get legal advice to appeal against their convictions.

This follows the revelation that Forestry Tasmania bungled the exclusion zone boundary and gave wrong information to the police, resulting in the trespass charge against Derwent Valley grandmother Lynda Blyth being dropped. The police have also communicated that trespass charges against others accused of trespass would also be dropped if they fall into the same category as that of Ms Blyth, who was arrested over 200 metres from the exclusion zone.

"Dozens of people have stood up to the Government, Forestry Tasmania and the logging industry to defend the ancient forests of the Upper Florentine and they have been wrongly accused of breaking the law," said Natalie Keene, Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson. “Many have been wrongfully convicted because the police blindly accepted the word of Forestry Tasmania."

"Those wrongly convicted should have legal and other costs incurred through their arrests and trials reimbursed by Forestry Tasmania," Ms Keene said.

The Upper Florentine exclusion zone has been in place off and on according to the bungled boundaries since April 2006. Since then, there have been a constant community presence and numerous protests resulting in over 90 charges of trespass.

"Forestry Tasmania should apologise to all the members of our community they have wrongly accused of breaking the law," said Ms Keene. "We demand that the Tasmanian Government put in place a more effective watchdog for Forestry Tasmania, whose incompetence continues to be exposed." Ms Keene said.

"Premier Bartlett has egg on his face because he blindly accepted Forestry Tasmania's claims that people were breaking the law. We hope this development will encourage him to be less gullible - and more clever - in his approach to the forest issue." said Ms Keene.

ASSAULTED CONSERVATIONISTS APPEAR IN COURT

Conservationists who were assaulted by logging contractors in the Upper Florentine valley last October will appear as witnesses today in Hobart Magistrates court. Miranda Gibson, 28, of Hobart and Nishant Datt, 23 of Lucaston were assaulted by logging contractors at a protest against logging of a contentious old growth area. The incident was captured on camera and images made headlines across the nation.

“"Whatever the verdict is today, it will not resolve the on-going conflict over Tasmania's forests. What we really need is for the State Government and Gunns to take responsibility for healing the divide in the Tasmanian community. We need a solution that adequately protects high conservation value forests while also addressing the needs of logging communities by providing a genuine sustainable forest industry." Said Miranda Gibson.

“Direct action protests are last ditch efforts to stop the decimation of ancient forests; after all other campaign avenues have been exhausted. The State Government has the capacity to solve the conflict over old growth logging by making use of existing plantations; however they continue to divide our community, and liquidate what remains of unprotected ancient forests.” Said Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson Ed Hill.