[Greens-Media] Police remove protesters locked on at Mumbulla Forest, arrest Aboriginal traditional owner

[Lee Rhiannon]

MEDIA RELEASE – Greens MP Lee Rhiannon and CHIPSTOP campaigner
Harriett Swift – 17 May 2010

Police remove protesters locked on at Mumbulla Forest, arrest
Aboriginal traditional owner

Greens MP and southeast spokesperson Lee Rhiannon this afternoon
reports that the three protesters locked on to forest clearing
machinery in the Mumbulla State Forest, where logging threatens koala
habitat, have had their chains cut off by NSW Police and have been
transported to Bega Police Station. An Aboriginal traditional owner
has just been released after having been arrested for failing to leave
the forestry area.

“The Aboriginal traditional owner who was arrested only yesterday took
me on a tour of the area, showing me where previous logging activities
had desecrated the burial grounds of his elders,” Ms Rhiannon said.

“These campaigners are engaged in peaceful, non-violent action to
delay further destruction of native forest habitat which is home to
the last colony of koalas on the NSW far south coast.

“Conservationists are left with no recourse but to protest so as to
protect an area which the NSW government promotes as the ‘Sapphire
Coast’ for its beautiful wilderness,” Ms Rhiannon said.

A larger team of conservationists, some dressed in koala suits,
supported the three protesters who were locked onto Avatar sized
machines.

Anti-logging campaigner Harriett Swift said, “Ramping up the action is
regrettable but necessary. We have been watching the log dump grow
with its huge fallen trees.

“Forests NSW have been moving out logged trees that provided breeding
habitat for local koalas.

“All conservationists have been threatened with fines if they remain
in the immediate area and some have already received them,” Ms Swift
said.

The Aboriginal Legal Service and the Environmental Defenders Office
are together preparing to represent the Aboriginal land over when the
matter reaches court on 15 June. No bail conditions have yet been set.

Conservationists locked onto logging equipment today were Keith
Hughes, Bega Greens Councillor, Jane Salmon, a Sydney-based
environmentalist and mother of two and James a Sydney based student
activist.

For more information and comment

CHIPSTOP protester - Harriett Swift [involved in today’s protest] – 0414 908 997
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon – 0427 861 568