Eight forest defenders have returned to takayna/Tarkine this morning to the site where Chinese state-owned company MMG want to build a new tailings dam in pristine rainforest.

“This morning threatened rainforests have been reclaimed by the protesters, with one protester locked onto a gate blocking access to the proposed MMG tailings dam site. A second protester has attached to an excavator; the immobilised machine was destined to push drill pads into ancient rainforest wilderness today,” Bob Brown Foundation’s native forests campaign organiser Lisa Searle said.

“After yesterday’s dawn raid by Tasmanian police and eviction of a four-month blockade, we have people coming to us from all over Australia asking how they can help and traveling to the Tarkine to get involved in this campaign. People are seeing the destruction happening right now in takayna/Tarkine and are joining us on the frontlines to defend Australia’s largest temperate rainforest,” said Lisa Searle. “Despite the presence of 24-hour security, we were able to get into position and halt the destruction of these ecosystems.”

“This post-election get-tough move by Premier Gutwein does not deter citizens who have to defend threatened rainforests from imminent destruction. When the going gets tough the tough get going for the forests,” said Bob Brown.

“MMG have referred their proposed destruction to Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley. Evicting the citizens from these threatened forests is preventing ongoing survey work by conservationists to test the frankly incredulous assertions in the Federal EPBC referral reports,” said Bob Brown Foundation campaigner Colette Harmsen.

“There will be no toxic tailings dump in takayna/Tarkine without non violent resistance from the people who want rainforests and endangered species habitat protected,” said Colette Harmsen.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling for no new mines in takayna/Tarkine and secure protection of Australia’s largest temperate rainforests.

https:/stabmag.com/premium/watch-now-dark-hollow/

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTLiAeK6tkU

The Dark Hollow clothing line features illustrations by LA-based tattoo artist Nathan Kostechko – whose artwork takes its inspiration from studies of the skeletons of Tasmanian Devils:

https://au.globebrand.com/pages/dion-agius-dark-hollow

Tasmania Police carried out a dawn raid this morning, with more than 30 officers involved. The operation is planning to evict forest defenders from a blockade that has been protecting rainforests from logging and mining for the past 142 days. One forest defender has been arrested. People still remain on site.

"This blockade, protecting the ancient landscape of the Tarkine, has stood in defence of these forests for 142 days, with over 300 defenders spending time in the camp over that period. We will not be deterred by the police raid, the defence of takayna/Tarkine will continue," said Scott Jordan, takayna / Tarkine Campaigner Bob Brown Foundation.

“We are calling for urgent protection for takayna/Tarkine, not state government assisted destruction of Australia’s largest temperate rainforests," said Jenny Weber, Campaign Manager Bob Brown Foundation.

The myth of sustainable logging in Tasmania’s Tarkine rainforest is set to have global attention, as a new short film is released. ‘The truth about the Tarkine’ has been made by renowned British scientist and environmentalist, Matthew Shribman.

In the film, Matthew travels to the Tarkine in north-west Tasmania and sees for himself the devastating effects of so-called ‘sustainable’ logging.

“The Tarkine is one of the last remaining, truly wild places on earth, with the cleanest water and air measured anywhere in the world,” said Matthew Shribman.

"Comparing the Tarkine rainforest with the so-called ‘sustainable’ replanted parts is like comparing the Great Barrier Reef with a fish farm. The new areas have hardly any wildlife and are all the same tree. You can even feel how much hotter it is in the new bits," said Mr Shribman

"Matthew Shribman's film 'The Truth About The Tarkine' gives a first hand account of both the beauty and the threats to one of the world's great temperate wilderness areas Tasmania's takayna/Tarkine," said Scott Jordan, Bob Brown Foundation takayna/Tarkine campaigner.

“takayna/Tarkine supports Australia’s largest tract of cool temperate rainforest, spanning wild windswept beaches, extensive buttongrass plains, and pristine wild rivers. It is of great significance to Tasmania’s Aboriginal people and a relict of the ancient continent of Gondwana. It is home to rare species such as the Tasmanian Devil, a freshwater crayfish that grows up to six kilograms in weight, and the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle. People need to watch this film, educate themselves on the threats to one of the last wild places on Earth and join our Foundation to take action to protect takayna," said Mr Jordan.

Film can be watched here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzC_Ng5rhXk

You can find out more about Matthew's work here:

https://www.MatthewShribman.com

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute opinion piece published in The Australian on 13 May 2021, completely ignores the current Antarctic Treaty System and the huge environmental impacts the proposed Davis Airport project will have on Antarctica. The claim that the proposal is a “good strategic move” or of “strategic imperative” is clearly false.

“The authors of the report would be well reminded that Australia’s Antarctic territory ‘claim’ was not only set aside permanently when Australia joined the Antarctic Treaty System, but that only four countries recognized this claim at all,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic Campaigner for Bob Brown Foundation.

“The Davis Airport proposal has been estimated to increase human impact on the continent by a staggering 40%. The institute’s report casually shrugged this off as an unfortunate environmental impact. It is to be built on ice-free land, which the authors referred to as ‘prime real estate’. Ice-free areas, such as the proposed site in the Vestfold Hills, make up just 1% of Antarctica. This 1%, however, is home to 99% of all wildlife on the continent.”

“They suggest that ‘science is the currency of influence’ in Antarctica. If that is truly the case, then the fact that the Australian Antarctic Division hasn’t issued its ‘annual’ science grant since 2018 and spent $68.3 million dollars on the airport over the same period, is cause for alarm.”

“Australia wants to demonstrate leadership in Antarctica, but this airport will have us remembered as environmental villains, not leaders.”

“To be leaders, Australia should abandon the Davis Airport proposal, promote cooperation within the Antarctic Treaty System, increase funding for science and implement binding, near-term greenhouse gas reduction targets as soon as possible. We should commit to the principles of the Antarctic treaty we signed. We certainly shouldn’t be encouraging countries to break up the Antarctic and kick off an infrastructure and territorial race, based on a massive concrete airport.”

 Rainforests in Tasmania’s Tarkine has a new threat with Chinese state-owned miner pushing to clear 140 hectares for a new tailings dam.

“MMG's plan to dump twenty five million cubic metres of toxic, acid producing mine tailings into World Heritage value rainforests within takayna/Tarkine is an assault on wilderness and the creatures that rely on it for habitat,” said Scott Jordan, Bob Brown Foundation takayna/Tarkine campaigner.

The project has very recently been referred to Federal Environment Minister Ley for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. 

“This mining company is controversially proposing to pump 25 million cubic metres of tailing waste product across the Pieman River to this new tailings dam after flattening rainforest in the takayna/Tarkine wilderness,” Scott Jordan said.

“MMG’s existing tailings facilities at their Rosebery mine are south of the mine and outside takayna/Tarkine,” Scott Jordan said.

"The verified World Heritage value forests of takayna/Tarkine are not a dumping ground for the toxic acid producing waste from the Chinese state-owned MMG", Scott Jordan said.

"MMG's own reports show this proposal will destroy 285 hectares of rainforest and melaleuca forest, to accommodate their 140 hectares of tailings dams and pits. That is dams and pits 70 times larger than the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and a total disturbance twice that amount.".

"Despite the company's dismissals, this area is home and feeding ranges for Tasmanian devil, Spotted tailed Quoll, and Marked owl. Our Foundation has operated a blockade against logging and mining in this area since December and have regularly sighted Devils, Quolls and Wedge tailed eagles, and have heard calls from Masked owl hunting in the area". 

"MMG should abandon this insane plan, and Minister Ley should use her powers under the act to declare this proposal clearly unacceptable and end this folly.  Until they do we are blockading the access road to these rainforests to defend and protect them,” Scott Jordan said.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley visited woodlands near Canberra this morning to see critically endangered Swift Parrots. The parrots have arrived back on the mainland after migrating from Tasmania where they nested over summer. Early reports are that none were there for the minister to wave toward extinction.

A prime cause of the disappearance of the Swift Parrots, the fastest on Earth, is Ley-sanctioned logging of the forests in which the parrots nest in southeast coastal Tasmania. The Bob Brown Foundation is currently pursuing legal action in the High Court to stop this environmental absurdity.

“We invite the minister down to Tasmania to inspect the smoldering ruins of some of the native forests formerly available for the parrots to nest but which have been deliberately flattened and incinerated on her watch. No trees, no nests, no parrots,” Bob Brown said.

Minister Ley has rejected out-of-hand the key action component recommended by the Samuels report which was to have an environmental police force to ensure the nation’s environmental standards are upheld.

Cutting funding for environmental action with teeth in it is ‘aiding and abetting extinction”, Bob Brown said.

An article published by the Lowy Institute on 3 May [1] raises serious concerns about the litany of problems with the proposed Davis Airport which the Australian Government and Australian Antarctic Division are prepared to ignore.

Despite the huge environmental impact of the Davis Airport, the Australian Government has said that no decisions will be made until the Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation is completed. However, the Lowy Institute has highlighted Australia’s lack of adequate legislation to properly assess the environmental impacts of the proposal and the shortcomings of the EPBC Act regarding the Antarctic.  The recent Samuels review found that the EBPC Act is failing to protect Australia’s environment.

Sections of Tasmania are blanketed in smoke this evening as government-sanctioned forest fire-bombing is unleashed after a largely fire-free election period.

Eleven ‘regeneration’ burns were set off near Burnie and another three in the south near Geeveston. Residents under the smoke plumes saw a blood-red sunset.

“It is pretty disgusting,” environmentalist Bob Brown said. “It appears to be the most savage forest fire-bombing session this year and comes after almost all votes were in the ballot boxes of Tasmania. 

I guess we can count on a blitz of the clearfelled forests with napalm-like incendiaries in coming days and week now the election is over.

It shows the level of respect the Gutwein government has had for both Tasmania’s native forests and for the people, including tourism business operators, who have to suffer this totally unnecessary pollution. 

There has and will always be some burning-off necessary at this time of year.  These logging mega-burns are never necessary and cut right across the image which makes Tasmania so attractive.” Bob Brown said.

The Bob Brown Foundation bus advertisements, which have been on public view for the last two weeks, have been pulled by Metro Tasmania three days before the election.

The advertisements depict intact and burnt Tasmanian native forests with the words ‘green your voice, or be part of the problem’.

“We are amazed,” Bob Brown said today. “These ads were approved. And so they should have been. But suddenly they are banned. Whoever caused the change and claims the ads break some rules has made a mess of it because they have run for the last fortnight. We were running the ads for another two weeks into May but now that won’t happen and we will be refunded. So, effectively, we have been able to run the ads in the election campaign period but are having them taken down for the non-election period: it’s a bit strange. I think someone has changed the rules midstream.”

“We do not know if the government has called the shots here but will seek clarification, including by a freedom of information search,” the Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.