Current News

Conservationists around the nation and globe are protesting today against the continuing logging and the wood chipping of world heritage valued old growth forests of Tasmania. 

Banners reading “TASMANIA’S ANCIENT FORESTS, WORLD HERITAGE NOT WOODCHIPS” and “THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING” are being displayed across the country.

Tall eucalypt forest, Upper FlorentineNEW MAPS AND DATA RELEASED BY SWST SHOW OVER HALF OF THE TALL

  EUCALYPT FOREST IN THE UPPER FLORENTINE IS AVAILABLE FOR

WHOLESALE DESTRUCTION!Reservation of vegetation types, Upper Florentine catchment: This map was compiled by forest campaigners, using data from the Land Information System Tasmania (LIST) website.

Community group Still Wild Still Threatened (SWST) has released new data showing that Forestry Tasmania's claim that 90% of the Upper Florentine catchment is "protected or otherwise unavailable for logging" is misleading

80 people gathered at Forestry Tasmania headquarters to hear forest campaigners present new information disputing Forestry's claims of protected land in the Upper Florentine.

Data from the Land Information System Tasmania website proves Forestry Tasmania have mislead the public by claiming 90% of the Upper Florentine is protected from logging. The data reveals the area available for logging is almost twice as large as FT claim. Worse still is the fact that 53% of the tall eucalyot forest is available for logging and 56% of old growth forest is available for logging. 

ACT NOW TO DEMAND THE STATE GOVERNMENT CORRECT FT'S MISLEADING CLAIMS AND STATE THE PRECISE AMOUNT OF TALL FOREST AVAILABLE FOR LOGGING.

DEMAND PREMIER BARTLETT TAKE ACTION TO SAVE THE UPPER FLORENTINE FOREST AND STOP FURTHER FORESTRY MISINFORMATION

Forestry Tasmania has repeatedly claimed that "no less than 90% of the Upper Florentine valley is protected for conservation values or otherwise unavailable for logging". This claim has been repeated by Minister Llewellyn, state and federal MPs, and Prime Minister Rudd's office
Forestry Tasmania has refused to release maps or evidence to verify its claims
Minister Llewellyn has told concerned Derwent Valley residents that maps showing the area protected in the Upper Florentine do not exist
Now data from the Land Information System Tasmania compiled by forest campaigners show that 19% of the Upper Florentine is available for logging - over 2,000 ha of forest that potentially could be logged, and double the amount previously acknowledged by Forestry (see map)
The unprotected area includes 53% of the tall eucalypt forest that Forestry most wants to log and 56% of the catchment's old growth tall forest
80% of the Upper Florentine's Eucalyptus regnans old growth forest, the tallest flowering plant species on the planet, is unprotected from logging
The Upper Florentine valley will be gutted by Forestry Tasmania's plans to destroy as much as 2,000 hectares of old growth forest, severely compromising the integrity of these World Heritage quality forests

TELL PREMIER BARTLETT THAT MINISTER LLEWELLYN MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS MISHANDLING OF THE UPPER FLORENTINE

Minister Llewellyn has accepted and repeated Forestry Tasmania's misinformation without bothering to investigate the truth of its claims
Concerned Derwent Valley residents and the wider community have long feared that Forestry was misrepresenting the extent of its logging plans for the Upper Florentine - this new data shows their fears were correct
Minister Llewellyn's failure to investigate the true extent of Forestry's logging plans and his preparedness to repeat Forestry claims that have now been revealed as false are a dereliction of Ministerial responsibility

PLEASE CALL PREMIER BARTLETT AND ASK HIM TO:

Ensure that Minister Bartlett, and other members of the Tasmanian government, do not repeat further false Forestry claims
Investigate how it is that Minister Llewellyn was prepared to repeat claims made by Forestry that have now been revealed as false, without undertaking any investigation as to whether these claims were true
Halt all logging and road construction in the Upper Florentine valley

CONTACT PREMIER BARTLETT'S OFFICE
Ph: 6233 3464
Email: premier@dpac.tas.gov.au

Conservationists from Still Wild Still Threatened are protesting at the national meeting of environment ministers at Wrest point today.

Protesters are staging a performance called the Endangered Species Banquet. Two protesters in a double headed fat man suit are devouring a Tasmanian devil served up by a representative of the Forest Industry.

Police have arrested four people this morning at a blockade of Gordon River Rd. A woman dressed as a giant black cockatoo was removed from an 8 meter high tripod by police who cut down the legs of the structure piece by piece. A woman who remained in the area as an observer was arrested in the forest surrounding
the blockade. Police have arrested another female conservationist who they believe is in breach of bail and have warned that warrants for committing a nuisance will be issued to five others who were in the area.

22 people have been arrested today in a peaceful community "walk in" action in protest to the logging of the pristine Upper Florentine valley.
300 hundred people attended the rally at the start of the controversial new logging road. Speakers including Tim Morris MP, Geoff Law, and acclaimed photographer Rob Blakers addressed the crowd, as well as local forest campaigners and Derwent valley residents.

The protester who chained her self to a truck carrying pulp logs from the Upper Florentine has been charged and bailed. Bridget Gattenby, 21 of Mountain River was charged with public nuisance and obstructing a road. Her bail conditions prevent her from leaving her familly home between the hours of 7am and 3pm daily and state that she may have to present herself to police if requested to do so. 

"Tasmania police continue to show the public whose interests they really represent. By enforcing heavy handed and over the top bail conditions on peaceful protesters the police are clearly acting in the interest of Forestry Tasmania and Gunns limited. This is an attempt by Tasmania police to try stamp out peaceful protests in the Upper Florentine by trying to make it hard as possible for peaceful protesers to conduct theiractivities."; Said spokesperson Ed Hill

A conservationist has chained herself to a log truck on Gordon River road in the Upper Florentine this afternoon. The truck is carrying pulp logs from the old growth forest
coupe 44a to the Gunns owned Triabunna chip mill.

The road is blocked to truck traffic however cars can still get through. The blockade has prevented three gravel trucks from carrying out work on the controversial road into wilderness forest. 

A conservationist who was arrested in the Upper Florentine valley yesterday is pursing a private prosecution against Forestry Tasmania staff members, regarding an
alleged assault and false imprisonment.

" David Bartlett is claiming that forest defenders are holding a gun to his head. In reality, the only Gunns being held are by David Bartlett, and it is a very warm embrace indeed,";Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson Ed Hill said.

"Still Wild Still Threatened are simply calling for the Premier to respect the wishes of Tasmanians, as shown during the Tasmania Together process, and put an end to old growth logging. David Bartlett and Forestry Tasmania response to the Tasmanian community is to resort to cheap spin doctoring and attacks on the
legitimacy of hard working volunteer forest defenders,"; Ed Hill said.