Bob Brown Foundation has today shut down Venture Minerals Riley Creek mine in Tasmania’s takayna/Tarkine. One woman has been arrested after she scaled a 10m pole to block access to the site. 15 Bob Brown Foundation Tarkine defenders were moved on by police as part of the protest.

Construction of Venture Minerals iron ore strip mine was halted for the majority of the second day in a row.

"Courageous people like Anna Brozek, who was arrested today for standing up defending the Tarkine wilderness are the true heroes we need in this climate emergency. Anna has been charged with obstructing police and trespass and was supported by 15 other activists in halting work on this mine which threatens the ecological values of the incredible wilderness of the Tarkine region," said Bob Brown Foundation Campaign organiser, Erik Hayward.

“We will be relentless in standing up against these destructive projects. We will not be silent among the generation that looked aside while our last tracts of wilderness were decimated. Silence is complicit," said Erik Hayward.

Tasmanian Labor MP Shane Broad is parroting the state’s most radical logging advocates in his call for destruction sites in Tasmania’s public forests to be out of bounds to the public which owns them, Bob Brown said today.

‘Broad is beating his chest in wanting to appear more pro-logging of our heirloom forests than the Liberals but this will run Labor into a blind ally of its own making. He is pushing Labor into a lose-lose contest with the Liberals for the minority viewpoint amongst Tasmanian voters that our native forests should be flattened and incinerated. With their wildlife!’.

‘If instead, Labor was to shape its forest policy around plantations, as New Zealand Labour did 20 years ago, he would be cooking with solar,’ Brown said.

Sources say the Governments anti-protest laws will be debated in the Upper House next week.

This morning a protest has been re-established at the Riley Creek proposed mine in Tasmania's takayna/Tarkine as the Bob Brown Foundation calls for World Heritage listing of one of the world’s last wild places.

This morning, a climber has scaled a 10 metre pole which is blocking access to the mining site. Anna Brozek, 23 years old, is currently suspended above the gate, and supported by a group of 15 protesters on the ground.

"Irreversible damage will occur if this mine is allowed to proceed. Mining in takayna/Tarkine is risking the climate, the environment and wildlife habitats for the Tasmanian Devil and Spotted Tailed Quoll,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaigner Scott Jordan said.

“takayna/Tarkine is worthy of World Heritage protection, it is one of the last wild places on Earth. Instead, the Tasmanian and Federal Governments want to rip it up and damage its globally significant natural and cultural values. Our Foundation will not stand by and witness the loss of takayna, we will continue to stand up and defend it,” Scott Jordan said.

“We are in an urgent state of global climate and ecological crisis. We need action immediately. It is imperative that no new mines are developed in takayna/Tarkine. Venture Minerals’ Riley Creek mine is a startup and aims to fund two other enormous mines in already dwindling ancient cool-temperate rainforests. Preventing Riley Creek mine from going ahead is preventing an environmental catastrophe for Tasmania’s ancient Tarkine,” Bob Brown Foundation’s campaign organiser Erik Hayward said.

“We will not stand by watching while our world is being plundered for profit, the time for Non Violent peaceful Direct Action is now. It is our right and our duty to defend and protect these wild and wonderful places” said Erik Hayward.

Two women have been arrested after being locked into vehicles preventing access to the Riley Creek mine works.

"These women have bravely put themselves on the line to prevent further destruction at Riley Creek", said takayna/Tarkine Campaigner Scott Jordan.

"They have shown the sort of passion and integrity for our wild places that we can only hope to see from Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley. If only she would stand for takayna/Tarkine so that citizens didn't need to".

Actions at Riley Creek will continue.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling for the controversial Tarkine new mine at Riley creek to be halted. This morning, takayna defenders have blocked access to Venture Minerals' Riley Creek mine site in an effort to prevent works on the controversial and environment destroying mine site.

“Our protest is recommencing after Venture Minerals started construction of a wet screening plant at Riley Creek to wash and separate out the iron ore for sale. Once this plant is complete, the wholesale destruction of Riley Creek will charge ahead if not stopped,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Scott Jordan said.

“People are seriously concerned about this mine going ahead, and the group of protesters on-site today are sending a clear message to Venture minerals as well as their investors that we will not just sit back and let this mine go ahead unhindered. We will continue to protest until Venture leaves the Tarkine for good,” said Lisa Searle, Native Forests Campaign Organiser for the Bob Brown Foundation.

"Venture Minerals mine has courted controversy since it's inception and the resolve of environmentalists has not weakened. But this mine needs to be halted once and for all,” said takayna/Tarkine Campaigner Scott Jordan.

"This mine will impact on Tasmanian devils, Spotted-tailed Quolls and takayna/Tarkine's verified World Heritage Values. It will be opposed at every step", Mr Jordan said.

"Given Venture's history of condition breaches, the Federal Environment Minister Susan Ley has the power to intervene and halt this destructive project, and nominate takayna/Tarkine for the World Heritage Listing it deserves", Mr Jordan said.

Mining company Venture Minerals plans for an iron ore strip mine at Riley Creek as the first of three mines in the World Heritage value takayna/Tarkine.

“Frightfully the Riley Creek mine is just the start to the destruction of takayna/Tarkine. If allowed to proceed Riley creek mine will fund the development of Pilbara-scale open cut mines in heathland and rainforest at Mt Livingstone and Mt Lindsay, both in the Tarkine,” Scott Jordan said.

“These proposed mines have been abandoned once before. They are only profitable now due to artificially high ore prices caused by COVID-19 shut downs of iron ore and tin mines in South America,” Scott Jordan said.

Forest defenders have ignited flares across two locations in Hobart’s CBD this morning, protesting the flattening and incineration of native forests, calling for an immediate ban on the Tasmanian government's practice of post-logging burns.

“Forty of us are demonstrating today to raise the alarm for Tasmania that we are losing vast tracts of native forests while disastrous logging burns pollute the world’s cleanest air, kill wildlife and dumps massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.

“A ban on this damaging burning after logging is urgent. Tasmania’s native forest logging industry needs a rapid transformation from the economically damaging, wildlife killing, environmental destroying and climate bombing that is shamefully entrenched,” Jenny Weber said.

The sites of this morning’s protest were Hobart’s Parliament House and near Hobart's GPO on Macquarie street, a busy inner-city street.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling for an urgent halt to the controversial practice of post-logging incineration of native forests as the alert level increases to ‘advice’ on the out-of-control logging burn in the Styx Valley. Last night, a witness encountered distressed wildlife in Australia’s largest temperate rainforests in this logging burn in the Tarkine.

“Our activists are in the Tasmanian forests documenting the atrocity of the native forest logging industry burn season.  Last night in takayna / Tarkine, one of our photographers witnessed the distress calls of ring-tailed possums in the Tarkine forests that were burnt by Sus Timber Tasmania yesterday. On Tuesday morning, we uncovered the out-of-control Styx logging burn that has now grown to 200 hectares and is costing taxpayers resources every day.

It is time these logging burns were consigned to the history books of shame. As urban Tasmania feels the impact of these burns, it is scandalous that Sus Timber Tasmania is still trying to appeal to work cooperatively with the public. The climate and Tasmanian public, environment and wildlife have suffered from this practice for decades and have had enough.”

“Tragically, Australia’s largest temperate rainforests are being converted into tree farms in Tasmania and after flattening the rainforests, these burns are decimating ancient ecosystems, threatening rare and endangered wildlife. We have concerns this fire, which was started in Rapid River coupe RD016B, is now burning intact forests.”  

“As with any other fire burning out of control, Tasmania Police should urgently investigate the Styx logging fire”, Bob Brown said today. “If a tourist operator was responsible for this fire they would lose their licence.”

“This Sustainable Timber Tasmania fire has already burned 5 times the intended area, cost taxpayers many thousands of dollars and if uncontrolled tomorrow threatens the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, just 4 kilometres away. Wildlife is being scorched in this burning forest,” he said.

“The police should report on how, why and when STT lost control of the fire and the costs to other industries and public health,” Bob Brown said.

“This makes a mockery of the Tourism Tasmania slogan, Come Down for Air,” Bob Brown said.

STT fire crews are currently on-site, working to contain and bring the fire under control. Currently, there are 7 light tankers, 1 heavy tanker, 2 bulldozers and 1 excavator.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling on Tasmanians to support a new project by the Invasive Species Council, called 'Tassie Deer Spotters'. It is a citizen science project aiming to document the spread of feral deer in Tasmania.

"Deer are running rampant across Tasmania, with numbers potentially near 100,000. This feral species is now impacting the national parks and reserves in this state. I urge all Tasmanians to join this important project if they can. I have added my own sightings of deer at Liffey for example. Anyone with a smartphone can add their sightings and help build knowledge of the threat to native vegetation and native animals by deer," said Bob Brown.

"This is a project that the Tasmanian Government should have taken up at least five years ago to help stem the spread of feral deer across the state and particularly into the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area," said Bob Brown.

You can join the project HERE

Bob Brown Foundation has called for an urgent immediate inquiry into a fire in the Styx Valley currently being attended to.

“It appears a Forestry Tasmanian ‘regeneration burn’ that was ‘completed’ on Saturday has got out of control today. We call on the Minister for Logging to commit to an inquiry into this escaped burn,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Jenny Weber said.

“Flattening and incinerating wild forests and wildlife and aggravating climate change needs to end. These forest-destroying burns should be banned,” Jenny Weber said.