[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Ringarooma Protests Aerial Spraying and Water Loss_K Booth MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

RINGAROOMA PROTESTS AERIAL SPRAYING AND WATER LOSS

Yet FIAT continues 'Good Neighbour Charter' Charade
 
Kim Booth MP
Greens Shadow Primary Industries spokesperson

Thursday, 27 November 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today supported Ringarooma residents who today
called for an immediate ban on the logging of their water catchment
which is endangering local water supplies and also for a moratorium on
aerial spraying of timber plantations and forests in their water
catchment until such time as independent studies are carried out
examining the impact of herbicides and pesticides on human and animal
health in the area.

Greens Shadow Primary Industries spokesperson Kim Booth MP who toured
the area today and spoke to over 30 residents at a meeting in Ringarooma
organised by Mr Norm Brown, said that the fact that local residents had
to gather and protest at aerial spraying showed that the people were
desperate for help, and that the so-called 'Good Neighbour Charter'
being relaunched today by the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania
(FIAT) was a charade and that none of the residents at today's meeting
saw forestry companies as 'good neighbours'.

"Whilst forestry industry bigwigs gathered in Launceston today to
relaunch their sham 'Good Neighbour Charter' which is meant to show how
they 'care' for their rural neighbours, dozens of Ringarooma locals
gathered to protest at the toxic reality of plantation expansion which
brings with it chemical contamination, loss of water and health scares,"
Mr Booth said.

"Ringarooma residents have a right to fresh clean drinking water and to
have their health protected from toxic contamination however that right
is being denied them by the chemical spraying of plantations and clear
felling in this area, close to water supplies and rural homes."  

"The European Union has moved to ban aerial spraying and the use of
these toxic poisons and when you look at the long term effects of
pesticide exposure such as, cancer, Parkinson's disease, birth defects
and increased miscarriage to name just a few, you can understand why."

"How ironic that FIAT chose today to launch their hollow 'Good Neighbour
Charter' whilst yet another rural community protests at toxic aerial
spraying of plantations and the disdain with which they are treated by
forestry companies."

"From Mole Creek to Ringarooma calls flood into my office from country
people getting sprayed by choppers circling plantations, being told to
stay indoors, scared about their water supply and contamination of their
water tanks."

"That's the reality for people on the ground, not some PR fantasy that
forestry companies spin."

 "It is an indictment on the Labor government and the forest industry
that they have effectively washed their hands of the responsibility to
rural residents' health on this issue and the only avenue for locals is
to gather and protest at the spraying they are being subjected to and
the local water supplies that are now at risk."

"The so called 'Good Neighbour Charter' relaunched today by the forest
industries deliberately dodged asking for public submissions because
they know how real people are being impacted on by the plantation
industry and I'm sure they are terrified of actually asking for public
comment as they know they'd be buried under a mountain of complaints,"
Mr Booth said.




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