06.05.09 Weld Valley World Heritage Value Forest added to Bartletts Chopping Block - Conservationists Evicted from Forest Camp

Tasmania’s Premier David Bartlett undertakes another massacre of World Heritage Value forest. Destruction of high conservation value wilderness forest continues with Tasmania Police today evicting conservationists from a camp in the Weld Valley, southern Tasmania.

“For the past two months conservationists have conducted a non violent presence in the South Weld World Heritage Value forests in the Weld Valley. Tall Eucalypt forests that are adjacent to the TWWHA border are under immediate threat from logging, this ecosystem in irreplaceable,” Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said.

“Conservationists used a web of protective ropes indicated by high visibility tape illustrating what trees are attached with rope to tree structures. A Forestry Tasmania employee was informed of the detail of the ropes that create a non violent web of protection for the ancient trees in this South Weld Forest. These highly visible ropes can easily be removed,” Jenny Weber said.

“Premier Bartlett has shown himself to be inept to act on the concerns of the people of Tasmania and the world, who are calling for Tasmania’s high conservation value forests to be protected. He is unwilling to take any real action to protect these ancient ecosystems and would rather stand by and see wildlife habitat destroyed, ancient forests decimated and huge fires reduce the forest to ash, in true Labor Government style,” Jenny Weber said.