A blockade was set up in the Picton valley on the 12th September, to halt logging and call for immediate protection and the rescheduling of loggers out of these ancient forests. Police arrived at the scene of a protest in the Picton valley in Tasmanias south, where conservationists had set up a blockade. Six logging machines that have been destroying old growth forests, were prevented from logging by a conservationist up a single pole structure attached to the machinery. The protestor was later arrested and summonsed to appear in court.
Statement by protest group Huen Valley Environment Centre
'Conservationists are protesting about the ongoing logging in the old growth forests in the Picton valley, forests that had a road put through them when they should have had a moratorium and now are being logged when they should have formal protection' Huon Valley Environment Centre's spokesperson Jenny Weber said.
'There are no signs of protection for the forests inside the nominated 430 000ha. As logging continues unabated. In the Picton valley the forests have missed out on the promised protection and these future national parks are vanishing,' Jenny Weber said.
'In August the Tasmanian and Federal Government promised the immediate protection of 430 000ha of native forest, and logging commenced in these Picton forests two weeks after that announcement. Premier Giddings and Prime Minister Gillard are failing to provide leadership on the promise of protection for these forests,' Jenny Weber said.
Coverage online
Police called to forest protest:ABC news
Moratoriumn Now Website This website is where the photo from the protest was obtained. Image by Laura Minnebo.
