[Greens-Media] Forest hero's arrest highlights Lennon-Howard failure

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Thursday, 11 May 2006

Forest hero's arrest highlights Lennon-Howard failure

The use of a highly-trained special squad of police, dropped from a
helicopter, to arrest forest hero Peter Firth in the Styx Valley of the
Giants this morning highlights the failure of Tasmanian Premier Lennon
and Prime Minister Howard to protect Australia's old-growth forest
heritage, Greens leader Bob Brown said today.

"Amongst the tallest hardwood trees in the world, this bizarre police
operation, fostering woodchip corporation Gunns Ltd's bottom line, was
preceded by a ban on media," said Senator Brown.

"Peter has been 55 metres high in the tree for 51 days. One day a
Tasmanian wedgetail eagle, listed by Canberra as a nationally endangered
species, landed in his tree. Today he was extracted so that the tree can
be destroyed so the eagle can go closer to extinction."

"Peter Firth has shown great patriotism as the political leaders tear
down this national heirloom forest. The Prime Minister's promise to
protect 18,700 hectares of old-growth forest in the Florentine and Styx
valleys has been shattered." Senator Brown said.

Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603


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Ebony Bennett
Media Adviser
Office of Greens Senator Bob Brown
Mobile: 0409 164 603
Ph: (02) 6277 3170
Fax: (02) 6277 3185
ebony.bennett at aph.gov.au