Media Release
17 December 2007

World Heritage Anniversary Event at Tasmanian Premier's Kingston Office

Today, Forest campaigners from the Huon Valley Environment Centre have held a demonstration at the Kingston office of Premier Paul Lennon and Environment Minister Paul Wriedt on the 25th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

"Twenty Five years ago, nations from around the world recognised the global significance of Tasmania's South West Wilderness. It defies comprehension that today, forests that are integral to the wilderness area, are still being decimated by industrial logging practices" said Huon Valley Environment Centre Spokeperson Jenny Weber.

"The World Heritage Congress in New Zealand this year raised serious concerns about the impact of Tasmania’s logging on the adjacent World Heritage Area, and believes that the incursion of logging operations into areas such as the North Weld Wilderness may heavily impact wilderness areas. This concern is significant enough to warrant the rare act of sending a scientific team in March 2008 to examine these issues," Jenny Weber said

"Paul Lennon and Paula Wriedt are once again shirking their international obligations, and their responsibilities to the people of Tasmania, in order to ensure more ancient forests are put through the woodchipper" Jenny Weber said.

“The Bali climate conference has put the international spotlight on industrial forestry. In Tasmania we are cursed with a destructive forest industry that releases large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Kingston is one of the towns that will be most affected by rising sea levels. It is a gross neglect of duty to contribute to these rising sea levels by supporting the woodchipping of ancient forests such as the Weld, Styx, and Upper Florentine," Jenny Weber said.

From The Mercury newspaper 18/12/07:

Protest targets Lennon's office

Forest campaigners demonstrated yesterday at the Kingston office of Premier Paul Lennon and Environment Minister Paula Wriedt.
The Huon Valley Environment Centre demonstration was to mark the 25th anniversary of the declaration of the Tasmanian wilderness World Heritage Area.
Neither minister was in their office, which at one time was occupied by eight campaigners until police arrived.
"Twenty-five years ago nations from around the world recognised the global significance of Tasmania's South-West Wilderness," environment centre spokeswoman Jenny Weber said.
"It defies comprehension that today forests that are integral to the wilderness area are still being decimated by industrial logging practices."
She said the World Heritage Congress in New Zealand this year raised concerns about the impact of Tasmania's logging on the adjacent World Heritage Area.
It believed the incursion of logging into areas of the north Weld wilderness may heavily impact on the wilderness areas.
This concern was significant enough to warrant sending a scientific team to investigate in March, 2008.