Black Saturday Community Organiser Arrested by 'Baillieu\Ryan' Government for Defending the Last Remaining Green Forests in Toolangi

Steve Meacher was arrested this morning (1st August) while attempting to talk with Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) officers at the coupe about a response to an alleged breach received from DSE Head Office on Sunday. The response from DSE head office stated VicForests should conduct further habitat surveys. Without refusing to leave Steve was arrested by DSE staff.

Meanwhile Vicforests defies DSE Order

The DSE have just released areport on Sunday 31st of July in response to an Alleged Breach by VicForests for failure to do adequate pre logging surveys Click here . Despite VicForest having been notified they have to provide data to the DSE to assure DSE that the logging is legal. Logging has persisted since this order was given by DSE.

his order by DSE also shows that VicForests have not undertaken adequate pre logging surveys (as determined by the Supreme Court in the Brown Mountain case). The assurances to Australian paper (makers of Reflex) has been that these surveys are being routinely done.

Louse Asher (Acting Premier) said to the Nation (see video ) that VicForests had performed 'rigorous' surveys, that 'no old growth was in the coupe' and called the community and environment groups "deceptive". Department investigations, following her statement, have revealed;

* a river existed that needed protection with buffers (unmapped previously).
* a large area of senescent forest (old growth) containing hollows and known nesting sites for Leadbeaters has been conceded (unmapped previously).
* a rainforest has been added to the area to be protected (unmapped previously).

DSE have also acknowledged that hollow trees in the coupe are known nesting sites for Leadbeaters Possum Habitat and that the habitat is Zone 2 Leadbeater's habitat.

Ironically although DSE have not bothered to fully survey the area for hollows to determine the presence of Zone 1a or zone 1b habitat they have requested VicForests do the surveys yet VicForests have said publicly that they "are not experts in biodiversity" see video .

Furthermore VicForests have not provided evidence that they have had adequate training in the identification of Leadbeaters possum habitat. Their methodology is quite different from the DSE's.

Both DSE and VicForests are refusing to acknowledge the substantial findings and recommendations of the BAER report following the Black Saturday Bushfires that the current coupe should be protected for habitat.

The following presentation highlights many reasons why the coupe and similar right across Victoria should not be logged see video

Australian Paper (Nippon) have publicly accepted (see video) that VicForests are adequately leaving buffers around endangered species habitat and most of this wood is likely to be ending up in Australian Papers Reflex copy paper see ethical paper pledge .

Community groups wish to express that whilst the Gun Barrel coupe at Sylvia Creek in Toolangi has received an enormous amount of attention the proposed clear fell logging system endorsed by the Government is clearly failing and this is true for every coupe across the enter Victorian forest estate.

No pre-logging report has been handed over by VicForests on the 'Freddo' coupe.

Please contact the Ryan Baillieu government and let them know you care .

Premier
Leader of the Liberal Party
Leader of the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition
Minister for the Arts

Electorate Office

325 Camberwell Road, Camberwell 3124

Phone (03) 9882 4088

Fax (03) 9882 4051

Email ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au

Web www.premier.vic.gov.au

More details on the campaign at:

http://www.myenvironment.net.au/index.php/me/Community/SAVE-Sylvia-Creek...