Media Release
15/02/2008

Activists Target ALP Support for Huon Wilderness Destruction

Activists from the Huon Valley Environment Centre are conducting actions in Hobart today targeting the ALP's support for forestry roading operations in three pristine wilderness areas in the Huon Valley. Forest Defenders will visit the Executive building at 1:45pm.

"Forest Defenders will present Premier Paul Lennon, Resources Minister Steve Kons, and the office of Federal member for Denison Duncan Kerr with photographs depicting the pristine wilderness areas under threat from forestry operations," said Huon Valley Environment Centre Spokesperson Warrick Jordan.

“Forestry Tasmania, with the approval of State and Federal Labor, is planning roading operations into previously untouched wilderness areas in the Huon District State Forests. This desperate land grab in World Heritage bordering wilderness forests in The Weld, Middle Huon, and Picton Valleys is planned for the coming weeks,” Warrick Jordan said.

"Federal Labor has been provided with the perfect opportunity to end the previous government's policy of using millions of Australian taxpayer's dollars to fund wilderness destroying logging roads. Premier Lennon can demonstrate his newly found commitment to social policy by hearing the wishes of the Tasmanian people and ending State Labor's slavish support for the woodchip industry," Warrick Jordan said.

"Both levels of Labor government pay lip service to climate change while facilitating the destruction and degradation of Tasmania's ancient forests, which are some of Australia's richest carbon sinks. If Paul Lennon and Kevin Rudd are serious about addressing climate change, they will immediately stop paying Forestry Tasmania to destroy world unique wilderness forests in the Weld, Picton, and Middle Huon," Warrick Jordan said.

"The Huon Valley Environment Centre is seeking meetings with all relevant Labor politicians to alert them to this tragic crime which is poised to occur in the coming weeks," Warrick Jordan said.