Today’s announcement by the Tasmanian Labor party of draconian new anti-protest laws comes hard on the heels of similar laws being rejected by the Tasmanian Parliament, with Labor MLCs, joining independents to vote down the failed laws.

This policy hypocrisy is a crass attempt to outdo the Liberal government’s failed attempt to stifle peaceful protest in Tasmania.

This policy has nothing to do with protecting jobs and is simply a desperate attempt to use Bob Brown Foundation, as a whipping post. These proposed laws will have far-reaching impacts on the rights of all citizens peacefully protesting about issue they care about.

The best way for the ALP to protect jobs in the forest industry is to accept that native forest logging is an outdated, destructive practice and to usher in a plantation-based forest industry.

“We have a problem in Tasmania ­– the ongoing logging of wildlife-filled native forests”, Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said today.

“We also have a solution – transition the industry into existing plantations, protecting native forests and addressing the biodiversity crisis, tackling climate change and protecting jobs in the process.”

“These proposed laws will do nothing to stop Bob Brown Foundation from peacefully protesting against the needless invasion and destruction of Tasmania’s public native forests”, Jenny Weber said.

“Tasmania’s Legislative Council has done its job as a house of review and stopped the Gutwein government’s effort to rob Tasmanians of their right to protest against unpopular policies. The government has failed, again, in its bid to give a few corporate forest invaders priority over the interests of fair-minded Tasmanians,” Bob Brown said today after the bill was voted down 8 – 6.

“Our Foundation will continue to carry out the long-held democratic right to protest for protection of Tasmania’s environment. We stand by our impeccable record that our Foundation and forest protesters in Tasmania have never damaged property nor threatened violence. We have a proud record of non-violent direct action. Some MLCs during the debate wrongly suggested otherwise,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.

“The right to protest should be enshrined by our political leaders rather than curtailed and in Tasmania’s Upper House today it was,” Jenny Weber said.

Today, the Bob Brown Foundation met with the Federal Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, at Parliament House to express grave concern for the enormous environmental impact of Australia’s planned concrete airport at Davis Base, Antarctica.

The proposed 2.7km concrete airport will increase all nations’ human impact on the continent by 40%.

“Today we came to Canberra to tell Minister Ley that this proposal needs to be stopped right now. It will require a staggering 3 million cubic metres of earthworks and the explosive levelling of 60 metres of hills in the neighbourhood of 160,000 Adelie penguins, Weddell seal pupping habitat and with nesting sites of Wilsons Storm Petrels” said Antarctic campaigner Alistair Allan.

“Minister Ley said that she only oversees the EPBC section of the project. But the environment minister is appointed to be an advocate for our environment. Minister Ley should be our leading environmentalist and she can start by pulling the plug on this environmental disaster in the pristine wilderness that is Antarctica” said Dr Bob Brown.

Concurrently, during senate estimates, Greens Senator Hanson-Young questioned the Director of the Australian Antarctic Division, about the budget for the project.

“A 5-billion-dollar figure has been touted for the concrete airport. This project is going to be a logistical nightmare. The government has already spent $68 million dollars on investigating this aerodrome. The question to Australians is, at a price tag of 5 Billion, what would they prefer? A concrete airport that destroys the homes of penguins and seals in an area the whole world wants protected, or $200 in the pocket of everyone?” said Alistair Allan.

Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Organiser Dr Lisa Searle has been arrested today from atop a crane in the contentious Riley Creek mine site, in Tasmania’s takayna/Tarkine.

In the past week, five Tarkine Defenders have now been arrested while trying to prevent the environmental destruction of world heritage values and endangered species habitat.

“Protests against Venture Minerals will continue until the company and their investors get the message that they are not welcome in takayna and commit to leaving the area. We have been fighting them for over a decade and we are not going to give up without a fight to defend one of the last wild places on Earth through non-violent protest,” said Dr Searle.

"Venture Minerals has invaded the Tarkine, wilfully destroying an area that is precious to many who want this wild place protected,” said Bob Brown Foundation takayna / Tarkine campaigner Scott Jordan.

In Tasmania’s north-west today, for the 4th day in a week of protests, a group of 20 activists have again blocked access to Venture Minerals’ Riley Creek mine site. Protesters are gathered at the mine entrance and on the environmental destroying machinery, another protester has locked themselves to a crane.

Dr Searle today attached herself to the crane to protest against Venture invading takayna/Tarkine with mining equipment. “This crane is being used to construct a wet screening plant to extract iron ore. By immobilising the crane, we are preventing Venture Minerals from completing construction of the plant and creating any further damage to this land,” she said.

“Venture Minerals is planning to use the profits from this Riley Creek strip mine to fund 2 much larger and even more destructive projects in the ancient rainforests of Mount Lindsay and Mount Livingstone. These mines will create huge scars across the takayna landscape, and irreversible damage to habitats of many threatened and endangered species.

“Venture Minerals motivation to get its ‘mothball’ project off the ground once again is due to decades-high iron ore prices. To the detriment of the environment and climate, Venture Minerals will destroy World Heritage values and leave nothing but a pit of waste behind,” Lisa Searle said.

Venture minerals should get out and stay out of takayna/Tarkine. This is Aboriginal land and we are campaigning for takayna to be returned to Aboriginal ownership,” said Dr Lisa Searle, Campaign Organiser with the Bob Brown Foundation.

Some 120 runners have set out this morning on the 2021 takayna Trail ultramarathon in Tasmania’s takayna / Tarkine.

Bob Brown Foundation’s third annual ultramarathon had to overcome multiple challenges to reach the starting line, including a Supreme Court case which found that Forestry Tasmania could not stop the event going ahead.

The race traverses the heart of takayna / Tarkine, the largest temperate rainforest in Australia, with a 26 km and 51 km route through the spectacular forests between Tullah and Waratah.

“Here are hundreds of happy, healthy Australians running to keep these rainforests for future generations”, Bob Brown said today from the race headquarters in Waratah, in northwest Tasmania.

“It is inspiring, positive and will help greatly to boost the Waratah region’s global fame”, Bob Brown said.

The 120 runners and their supporters have so far raised over $165,000 to support Bob Brown Foundation campaigns to protect takayna / Tarkine as a World Heritage-listed National Park, returned to Aboriginal ownership.

Work at Venture Minerals Riley Creek mine site was again halted today, for the third time. A group of 15 protesters converged on the area in the early hours of this morning. Tarkine Defender Tameka Baylis, 26 was later arrested after chaining herself to the front gate, stopping access to the site

“For three days we have put the spotlight onto the destruction of the wilderness values of the Tarkine by Venture Minerals. These protests have been conducted in the spirit of so many great non-violent actions before, such as those for the Franklin River, the Daintree and Kakadu. So many wild places would have been lost if it wasn’t for people halting the work of companies and governments who show little regard for their communities or the environment,” said Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaigner Scott Jordan said.

“Brave Tarkine defenders have exposed to the world the dirty deeds of this mining company and its plans to trash one of the last great wilderness areas on Earth. These Tarkine defenders should not be the target of slander from the Tasmanian Government, they should not be the target for draconian new laws. They should be thanked for the work they are doing for future generations,” said Scott Jordan.

The mix of draconian arrest laws for peaceful logging protesters and viciously inflammatory language from Minister Guy Barnett backed by premier Peter Gutwein leaves them with a heavy responsibility if there is violence against the campaigners, Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

“We call on the Legislative Council to reject the government’s anti-protest laws which I think are unconstitutional,” Brown said. “The government is determined to be twice-bitten. But the cost is in this island’s reputation. The government’s mounting rhetoric against decent, committed citizens who want nature protected is dangerous. Premier Gutwein should revisit the revolting outcome of President Trump’s failure to accord respect to his opponents in politics and in the general public.”

The Bob Brown Foundation’s takayna Ultra-marathon is going ahead early tomorrow morning at Waratah despite the minister’s backing for efforts to stop it. “We have 100 runners from around the country running to save the Tarkine. It should have had the Gutwein government’s support, not obstruction. But it is going ahead and it will bring the region excellent fame,” Brown said.

Protests have entered their third day at the controversial new mine in Tasmania’s takayna/Tarkine.

“Our Foundation is calling for no new mines in this World Heritage value takayna/Tarkine. This Riley Creek mine is the first Venture misadventure destined to ruin the vast, wild and fragile ecosystems of takayna / Tarkine,” Bob Brown Foundation’s takayna/Tarkine campaigner Scott Jordan said.

“We are shutting down Venture minerals attempt to develop the site at Riley Creek. This week we observed equipment arrive to build a screening plant that washes and separates iron ore for sale, and we immediately took action,” Scott Jordan said.

Tarkine Defender Tameka Baylis, 26, has attached herself to the access gate. Along with fellow defenders on the site, Baylis is taking a stand against the devastation lined up for the ensuing mines in the area.

“If allowed to proceed this Riley Creek mine will lead to two more proposed mines that will decimate one of the last tracts of ancient cool temperate rainforest on the planet,” Scott Jordan said.

“The Bob Brown Foundation will not stop in the defence of these sacred lands home to plethora endangered and threatened species including the spotted quoll, Tasmanian devil, Tasmanian wedge tailed eagle and the giant freshwater crayfish,”

“Peaceful protest has seen positive change through the ages. For one of the last wild places on Earth, we are making a stand,”

“Tasmania’s north west would benefit greatly if showcased for people to explore the intact wild country, so our Foundation will continue to defend it and protect what is left. takayna/Tarkine is a World Heritage site in waiting and Tasmania’s government would prefer to destroy its globally significant values than save them,” Scott Jordan said

"New anti-protest laws are set to be brought on for debate in the upper house next week and Tasmanians cannot let our right to peacefully protest be taken away.

The right to protest is fundamental to a robust and healthy democracy and should be enshrined by our political leaders rather than curtailed. From land rights, the environment, equality and workers rights, peaceful protest has been an integral part of Australia and shaping our nation’s healthy democracy.

Our Foundation has always been dedicated to non-violent protests to defend our incredible environment and the majority of Australians back us. We call on the Legislative Councillors to support a vibrant democracy and vote against the anti-protest law," said Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Manager, Jenny Weber.

"Police already have numerous powers to remove and charge people defending forests from destruction. Activists can already face jail terms for non-violent action. Any new laws, such as these new anti-protest laws are unnecessary, harsh and excessive. This bill before parliament is likely to amount to a breach of international human rights principles due to the very broad definitions of “business access area” and “prevent, hinder or obstruct”. The proposed draconian laws could be used against workers striking against poor conditions, against those who fight for social justice as well as the environment. They just go too far.

Today in Tasmania’s parliament Minister for logging destruction, Guy Barnett, is peddling mistruths about our Foundation’s impeccable record on safety and non-violence in all we do.

Protests have traditionally protected Tasmania’s outstanding wild places, including the Franklin, Styx Valley of the Giants, Recherche Bay and the wildlife rich native forests around the state. Our special places and tourism icons that contribute to the economy and wellbeing of all Tasmanian’s have been protected by citizens who protested.

We are launching a public campaign for the next week including a letter writing campaign to MLCs and a snap rally on Parliament Lawns next Wednesday to call on the Legislative Council to vote this Bill down," said Jenny Weber.