A failure to outline the proposed feedstock for an e-fuel plant proposed for Surrey Hills, Tasmania has led to urgent questions over whether the facility will use native forest or annual agricultural crop waste as feedstock, because the different types of feedstock have quite different environmental impacts, including whether they are actually carbon neutral.

"Use of native forest is unacceptable. Entrenching and expanding native forest logging is an inevitable outcome if native forest feedstock is used, and that would be harmful to biodiversity and to the climate itself, " said Peg Putt - former Greens Leader and now a coordinator of the international Biomass Working Group, which is the major international network campaigning on biomass energy.

"Our native forests are marvellous carbon stores and should be allowed to continue accumulating carbon and providing homes for our precious native species, not be logged, processed and combusted for fuel, sending carbon emissions to the atmosphere whilst annihilating the forest environment."

The proponents must immediately outline their planned feedstock. If annual agricultural residues are used, that's satisfactory as the carbon released will be recaptured the next year by regrowing the crop, but this is not the case for native forests. When they are used for biofuels it takes decades or centuries for the forest to recover and draw down the carbon that was released by the combustion of the fuel, and in the meanwhile that forest carbon is in the atmosphere is adding to climate change. It's well outside the Paris Agreement timelines for action.

"A myth of carbon neutrality has been perpetrated but is now widely acknowledged to be flawed when forests are used as feedstocks for biofuels."

"Surely Porsche doesn't want to be implicated in the destruction of Tasmania's outstanding natural forests?" Ms Putt concluded.

At 5.55 pm yesterday, Friday, counsel for the Minister for the Environment Tanya Plibersek informed the Federal Court that she would decide by 31 July on the previous government’s approval for MMG to begin drilling operations for a toxic waste dump in the takayna/Tarkine rainforest.

This removed the need for a management hearing by the Federal Court on Monday morning but not for the challenge by the BBF to the Morrison government approval, set down for 19 – 20 July.

Bob Brown says that Plibersek should direct MMG to dispose of its acid waste outside takayna / Tarkine, before 19 July. That would obviate the need for this court hearing on 19 July.

"However, after the Albanese government’s approvals of the giant Scarborough gas project and the Gelorup highway corridor through rare-species-rich habitat in Western Australia, there is no guarantee the minister will stand by the Tasmanian rainforest environment either," Brown said.

"Minister Plibersek is in communication with MMG but has ignored communications with BBF on the takayna/Tarkine issue. This week MMG took heavy machinery in and out of the contentious area. Two more BBF forest defenders were arrested while Plibersek said nothing."

Over the weekend 50 people are visiting the takayna rainforest threatened by MMG’s proposed waste dump.

Bob Brown Foundation has expressed outrage at Forestry Tasmania’s newly released three-year logging plans. Logging is planned for the World Heritage value ancient rainforests in Tasmania’s takayna / Tarkine, 500-year-old eucalyptus trees, habitat for the critically endangered Swift Parrots, and some of the oldest forests in the central highlands, near Tasmania’s popular Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair World Heritage Areas, are targeted.
 
“Tasmania’s new three-year logging plan is the worst we have ever seen. Logging plans have been released for native forests that should be left standing in this climate emergency. Logging in habitat for rare and critically endangered wildlife habitat, rainforests and vital carbon storehouses are in the latest logging plans,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.
 
“Flattening and incinerating native forests is Tasmania’s worst source of polluting greenhouse gases. Many of the woodchips and logs being ripped out are going to China and Malaysia for a pittance. While the Rockliff government is destroying our ancient forests and wildlife, it is legislating draconian anti-protest laws to jail Tasmanians who peacefully defend them. Anti-protest laws will not silence our actions to defend native forests,” Jenny Weber said.
 
“By signing off on this logging plan, Premier Rockliff is wilfully ignoring the unfolding climate and biodiversity crises. This Premier is responsible for a taxpayer-funded industry that costs the state millions of dollars each year, removal of habitat for wildlife that have nowhere else to go and increased fire risk in our communities,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaigner Erik Hayward said.
 
Forestry Tasmania’s new three-year plan includes:
• More than 15,534 hectares of native forests slated for logging in the next 3 years. 
• 59 km of new roads across Tasmania’s native forests to be built using taxpayer money.
• Areas of giant old-growth eucalypts, the tallest flowering plants in the world, in the Huon and Styx valleys.
• Old forests surrounding the World Heritage areas in Wentworth Hills, Lake St Clair and between Walls of Jerusalem and Great Western Tiers, forests that have been carved out of wild places to suit the loggers.
• Logging areas of the glacial refugia forests in the Blue Tier.
 
“Being hit hard are areas in the far south of Tasmania where Swift Parrot breeding grounds have been subject to relentless and indiscriminate clear-felling, pushing the fastest parrot on Earth to the brink of extinction. Swift Parrot habitat remains in future logging plans and habitat is being logged in the Eastern Tiers right now. When the parrots return in the coming months, they will be searching out the last remaining hollows and feeding areas among logged habitat. Logging is the critical threat to its fragile existence,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaigner Erik Hayward said.
 
“Tasmania is still losing vast ecosystems to logging in state forests that are kilometres behind Forestry Tasmania locked gates. Logging that is defended by an industry defying all science and logic and ignorant of the critical need for conservation of all remaining native forests,” Erik Hayward said.

After receiving another communication from our Foundation’s lawyers, MMG has decided to cease all activities involving vehicles, machinery and other equipment within the controversial mining lease in takayna / Tarkine, for the time being.

“For all intents and purposes, MMG has been in contempt of court and now will abide by a Federal Court order. This would not have happened if left to the police. It is an outcome of the combined efforts of our legal team, our campaigners and forest defenders in takayna / Tarkine,” Bob Brown said.

“There is one law for corporations and one law for defenders of the planet,” Bob Brown said.

Bob Brown Foundation has also released a letter to Federal Minister for the Environment, Tanya Plibersek.

“The letter was sent after a month of silence from Minister Plibersek, as MMG, contravening a Federal Court order, continued works for a toxic waste dump in Tasmania’s takayna / Tarkine,” Jenny Weber, Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Manager said.

Copy of letter

Bob Brown Foundation has asked Tasmania Police to intervene against MMG flouting Friday’s Federal Court ruling in Hobart that none of its machinery, including cars, can enter exclusion zones of 15 metres around large trees in the takayna / Tarkine rainforest.

Today, MMG moved heavy machinery, including a dump truck, through a series of such exclusion zones in direct contravention of its commitment to the Federal Court that it would not do so.

“This is an egregious breach of both Judge Moshinsky’s direction to MMG and MMG’s commitment to the judge in the court to abide by that direction,” Bob Brown said.

“More than 80 Tasmanians have been arrested at MMG’s behest for defending the rainforest and its Masked Owls. It is shocking that MMG can take the law into its own hands in this way. This may be acceptable in Beijing but it is not in Tasmania,” Brown said.

As at noon today, the situation on the ground remained unresolved.

In the Federal Court today, Justice Moshinsky, stopped mining company MMG’s heavy machinery from its invasion of the takayna / Tarkine for preliminary work on a toxic waste dump.

Justice Moshinsky has made clear that MMG is not to bring any of its machinery or vehicles – light or heavy - down roads that pass the very Exclusion Zones it has set up to protect Tasmanian Masked Owls.

“MMG's arrogant flouting of the Federal Court ruling was illegal,” Bob Brown said.

“We have had good citizens arrested and one to jail, because MMG has breached a Federal Court ruling. This is so wrong. MMG's decision makers should have been arrested, not our peaceful forest defenders,” Bob Brown said.

“Where were the state and federal law makers? Environment Minister Plibersek has failed to ensure this fragile forest and its endangered Masked owls were protected as required by the Federal Court,” Brown said.

In a rare and possibly unprecedented event, the Supreme Court has ordered Minister Guy Barnett to provide an affidavit. It’s likely the Minister will be a witness in the proceedings.

Bob Brown Foundation is challenging Minister Guy Barnett’s granting of an unnecessary mining lease to miner MMG in Tasmania’s takayna / Tarkine. The lease is along the controversial public Helilog road where our protests have been defending world heritage value rainforests and critical breeding habitat for the Tasmanian Masked Owl.

Minister Guy Barnett admitted his first issue of a licence in July 2021 was invalid. Minister Guy Barnett then granted another lease in January 2022. The Supreme Court has ordered all documents be produced that informed the new decision by the Minister via a personal affidavit by Mr Barnett.

Bob Brown Foundation has shut down MMG’s drill rig on the site of its proposed toxic heavy metals tailings dam because of alleged breaches by the company of undertakings given to the Federal Court last month. The drill rig arrived a couple of days ago and hasn’t been able to leave the middle of the road where we’ve halted it for two days with protests.

The undertaking that the company would not operate within 15 metres of a tree with a diameter of one metre or more was given to the court in lieu of an injunction sought by Bob Brown Foundation to protect Tasmanian Masked Owl ahead of reconsideration by the Federal Minister of EPBC permits granted for drilling and roading.

Bob Brown Foundation has documented 13 sites along Helilog Road where this undertaking has been breached between 24-29 July.

Tenisha Van Dam (20) has locked on to a drill rig to prevent continuation of the unlawful works.

“I am here in takayna because I know that once these trees come down there is no going back. Now is not the time to be complacent, we need action for Earth," said Tenisha Van Dam.

“Again this company has shown its disregard for Australia’s environmental laws, and in this case an undertaking it made to the court less than a month ago. They cannot be trusted in World Heritage value forests like takayna / Tarkine”, said Bob Brown Foundation takayna / Tarkine Campaigner Scott Jordan.

“If the Minister needed any more confirmation that this company should not hold environmental permits, it is now etched into the landscape”.

Bob Brown Foundation will be appearing in the Federal Court at 3.15 AEST today to seek that in light of MMG’s breach of its undertaking and associated court order an injunction be granted preventing works until the current challenge to the EPBC permit is resolved by the Federal Court. The hearing for this challenge is set down for 19 July.

Concurrently, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has indicated that a decision on the reconsideration will be unavailable until mid July at the earliest. The reconsideration was triggered by Bob Brown Foundation.

Dr Colette Harmsen, wildlife veterinarian, has been refused bail in Burnie night court. Dr Harmsen was arrested today protesting against the destruction by mining company MMG of Masked Owl breeding habitat in takayna / Tarkine today.

Dr Harmsen will appear before a magistrate tomorrow.

“Colette is a wonderful hero for the planet,” said Bob Brown.

Bob Brown Foundation and thousands of citizens have been protesting for the protection of Tasmania’s takayna / Tarkine from logging and mining for the past 8 years. In the past twelve months, the highly controversial proposal to dump heavy metals sludge into takayna rainforests for a new mining tailings waste dump has resulted in more than 85 people being arrested defending the forests.

Two women have been arrested today protesting and calling for protection of Tasmania’s takayna / Tarkine. Dr Colette Harmsen and Rose Sheehan were charged after halting a drill rig that arrived into forests threatened by mining company MMG’s proposal for a heavy metals tailings waste dump.

“It’s not good enough that we are losing such wild and biodiverse rainforests for the sake of a mining company’s profit. I grew up in lutruwita / Tasmania and was able to explore the forests and seas so I know what we are losing. I will stop at nothing to protect these beautiful forests regardless of the penalty for protesting. A fine or sentence will never outweigh my love and value for these forests and for the welfare of future generations,” Rose Sheehan said.

Dr Colette Harmsen has been held on remand in Burnie today after her arrest due to breaching bail conditions.

“I am defending takayna for the animals and the wildness. We are going to stop this corporation driven by greed. Our peaceful protest today halted the drill rig in the middle of Helilog Road among the critical breeding habitat of the Tasmanian Masked Owl.”

“Ever since I studied science at high school in the early 1990s, I have been acutely aware of climate change and the negative impacts humans are having on the environment and the lack of government action to respond to these impacts. Here we are 30 years later and nothing has changed. Governments are still refusing to act, industries are still given incentives to destroy wild places and pollute, and politicians do not look beyond the next election,” Colette Harmsen said.

“Citizens, including courageous Colette and Rose, are doing the work to protect wild places, intact nature and habitat for rare and endangered wildlife while governments fail to, and corporations continue their relentless destruction of the environment,” Jenny Weber, Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager said