TAS: Man arrested after seven hour forest protest

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2007
TAS: Man arrested after seven hour forest protest

By Glenn Cordingley

HOBART, Feb 19 AAP - Logging in Tasmania's southwest stopped today when an environmentalist
chained himself to a tree-harvesting machine for seven hours.

The man was arrested in the Weld Valley after police and the State Emergency Service
used heavy metal cutting equipment to free him.

Fifty protesters ignored police and marched into the Forestry Tasmania exclusion zone,
stopping any work being done today.

The Huon Valley Environment Centre (HVEC) says the activity will continue and is calling
of the federal government to impose fines of $5 million for logging in an endangered species
habitat.

"The wilderness quality forest is being logged at an alarming rate in the lower Weld
Valley," HVEC spokesperson Jenny Webber said.

"In this day and age of increased awareness about climate change, the government needs
to be doing everything it can can to alleviate the impacts of climate change and protecting
old growth forests is an answer.

"The Huon Valley Environment Centre and unhappy community members will continue to
highlight the destruction of the Lower Weld Valley with non-violent protests."

Officer in charge of the Kingston Police Division, Inspector Mark Mewis, warned that
any illegal activity would be dealt with.

"At this stage we are taking the softly, softly approach and will send in resources
as and when needed," he said.

"Anyone acting illegally will be dealt with according to the law."

Forestry Tasmania on Friday lost a Supreme Court injunction to stop members of the
Huon Valley Environment Centre from texting, promoting or emailing any protest activity.

Industry groups say the delays are hurting the pockets of Tasmanian workers and the
state's economy.

"When protesters illegally lock themselves onto machinery they impact on the supply
of resource to mills and the livelihoods of the families that depend on this resource
for their lawful business," Forest Industries Association of Tasmania spokesperson Katy
Hobbs said.

"Tasmanians should find it unacceptable that the illegal activities of a small extreme
group can be allowed to impact on the livelihoods of Tasmanians who are carrying out a
business within the law.

"Forestry is an integral part of the Tasmanian economy and these continuing attempts
to undermine forestry activity in fact undermine the Tasmanian economy."

She said the current protests were what the failed injunction had tried to prevent.

AAP grc/wjf/cjh/de

KEYWORD: PROTESTS NIGHTLEAD

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