Weld Valley protesters ignore police caution
Sunday, 18 February 2007.

About 50 protesters have entered a Forestry Tasmania exclusion zone in the Weld Valley, south-west of Hobart.

The protesters are trying to stop the logging of two coupes of temperate rainforest, next to a World Heritage Area.

Two days ago Forestry Tasmania failed in a court bid to stop the protest action.

This morning, police about one kilometre into the Weld exclusion zone, formally cautioned the protesters they would be charged with trespass if they continued walking into the forest.

The caution was ignored by all but a couple of the protesters.

Jenny Weber from the Huon Valley Environment Centre says all that separates the Weld Valley logging coupes from neighbouring World Heritage forest is a line on a map.

She says 95 per cent of the trees cut down by Forestry Tasmania will be woodchipped and the practice must stop.