Media Release 28th February 2007

New Taxpayer-funded Assault on Tasmania’s Wilderness Forests.
Weld Activists halt "Road to Ruin"

“Activists have today taken direct action in Tasmania’s southern forests. To highlight another new attack on the Weld Valley and adjacent wilderness forests, in Denison Valley activists have blocked an access road with a tree platform suspended from a forestry gate. Peaceful action has been taken to prevent logging operations that will open up high conservation value forests in the Lower Weld and Little Denison Valleys,” Huon Valley Environment Centre Spokesperson Jenny Weber said.

“Weld Valley activists are halting current logging, the start of a proposed new logging road that threatens to cut deep into a remote
wilderness area in the Lower Weld Valley, on the flanks of the World Heritage Snowy Range,” Jenny Weber said.

”This nightmare proposed road will access the edge of 2000ha in world heritage valued wilderness, further up the valley from the site of
recent protests. If allowed to proceed the road access a vast stand of wilderness forest in the Weld Valley, including one of Southern Tasmania's largest areas of unprotected rainforest,” Jenny Weber said.

"Taxpayer's money allocated in the Tasmanian Communty Forest Agreement, after the last federal election, is being used for this new
road. Over $230m was allocated to the logging industry, under the guise of moving out of old growth logging. But now, these same funds are being funneled into an old growth land grab, with new roads penetrating into remote wilderness forests," said Huon Valley Environment Centre spokesperson Jenny Weber

"A strategic assault on the pristine forests of the Lower Weld Valley is being taken by Forestry Tasmania, with an unprecedented level of
destruction occurring in ancient Weld forests. By pushing new roads into these remote areas, Forestry Tasmania and the Lennon Government hope to rule out future reservation and World Heritage status. The forests being targeted by this new road include pristine old growth and rainforest on very steep slopes, alongside the wild Weld River and the World Heritage Snowy Range," Jenny Weber said.

"John Howard promised to protect the forests of the Lower Weld Valley during the last federal election and allocated money for a move out of
old growth logging. The coalition government must act to end this taxpayer-funded destruction before wilderness areas like the Lower Weld
are decimated. Kevin Rudd and Peter Garrett should hold Paul Lennon and the Coalition to account for selling out on these key election promises," Jenny Weber said.
Contact Jenny Weber 0427 366 929