7/2/2002

COMMUNITY PICKET OF ALTERNATIVE ENTRANCE TO WELD VALLEY

The campaign to highlight logging threats to the Weld Valley in Tasmania’s southern forests, has escalated this morning with a community picket of another forestry gate which provided alternative entry for some limited construction work on a controversial logging road, allowing access to the Weld’s old growth forests.

Speaking from the new protest site near the Tahune Bridge on the Huon River, Jenny Weber, from the Native Forest Network said today, “So many eminent experts and authorities have recommended the Weld Valley be listed as world heritage, and they include the Tasmanian Department of Parks, Wildlife and Heritage and the Australian Heritage Commission.

“Civil disobedience like this is necessary because the Bacon Government has not only watered down the people’s verdict in the Tasmania Together process regarding old growth logging, but it has also ignored the findings of its own departments in relation to the Weld Valley.

While this new community action was taking place near the Tahune Bridge, the original base camp in operation at the start of the logging road since Monday, was still being maintained.

Ms Weber said, “We’re holding the new protest well away from the tourist access path to the nearby Tarhune Airwalk, because we want people to come and see that preserved forests, like the one at the Airwalk, offer more riches than the woodchips Forestry has in mind for the Weld’s forests.

(END: Contact Adam Burling or Jenny Weber on mobile 0405 286 794, or email aburling@nfn.org.au <mailto:aburling@nfn.org.au> We come out from the action to check this email each afternoon).

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The Native Forest Network- The Southern Forest Alliance- The GAIA Foundation Tasmania.

For updates, see www.tasforests.green.net.au <http://www.tasforests.green.net.au>