Warrup activists hit with record fines

Gerry Georgatos
Forest Rescue Australia (FRA) Warrup activists have been hit with record fines by the Courts said FRA spokesman, Simon Peterffy.

"It appears to have got 'political' and where activism is concerned we are being hit with the biggest fines to date in WA history. It is disappointing because we are not doing anything wrong, only fighting to save the lives of our numbats, to stop unnecessary logging, and to protect the legacies of our children that everyone should best understand," said Mr Peterffy.

The Warrup activists have been hit with fines in the thousands of dollars however Mr Peterffy promised this would not stop them.

In recent weeks FRA had been stretched with various actions which included locking on activists to a ship in Fremantle harbour in protesting the live export trade, and with other rallies at state parliament including a save the Warrup rally. However during the last week FRA activists have returned to Warrup to highlight the plight of the numbats and to stop logging.

Despite some Nyoongar Elders providing heritage surveys and their blessing to the Forest Products Commission (FPC) in logging south west forests other Elders, including Dumbartung's chief executive officer Robert Eggington, Bibelmun historian Toogarr Morrison and south west resident David Webb, have said they are against the logging and especially in Warrup, Yabberup, Arcadia and Dryandra.

They said that since colonialism, from 1829 onwards, less than 7% of forest remains today between Albany to Geraldton, as it has been cleared for land use and fabrication and production purposes. Supported by the CSIRO and the Climate Change Agency, they said it led to rising temperatures, and drying landscapes.

Mr Peterffy said in trying to protect the last vestige icon blocks of forests like Warrup, FRA activists have been hit with "bewildering" multiple fines.

Simon Outhred was penalised $2,000 and $1,500 for two trespasses, one lock on, and for taking a photo on private land.

Guy Sullivan was penalised $1,500 for taking a photo on private land. He was penalised $800 for breaching a good behaviour bond ($2,300). Mr Sullivan, who lives in Manjimup, is the son of Ray Sullivan, the director of Warrens Logging Services. "My dad and I have different views, we are on opposite sides," he said.

Mr Peterffy is disappointed by the swathe of move-on-notices during the Warrup protests and by the number of activists arrested and charged. "It is unprecedented, and for whatever reason they have been very harsh, and very unfriendly, however this does not weaken our resolve."

"We will not be deterred by these latest fines. We will keep on shutting down the logging operations. The numbat killers can expect us to continue shutting down their operations until they leave Warrup forest," said Mr Peterffy.

Mr Peterffy said the FRA will appeal "these excessive fines" and he hoped that "commonsense would prevail."

The FRA is financially heavily supported by many "compassionate and kind-heart donors, people who care about the rights of animals and the environment", and by a number of "parliamentarians, mostly Greens, however some Labor and one Independent Liberal."