Today in Wentworth Hills, four forest defenders were arrested for halting the logging of Tasmania’s endangered species habitat and carbon storehouses.

“We shut down logging of the oldest forests today, giving Premier Gutwein the opportunity to protect the old growth forested endangered species habitat. He failed again and chose to send in the police instead of choosing to protect these critical native forests,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Jenny Weber said.

“The tall forests of Wentworth Hills are under an industrial government sanctioned assault, a tragedy that is occurring right under our noses. Behind locked gates and hidden away from public scrutiny, these majestic, wild ecosystems are being decimated,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Organiser Erik Hayward said.

“The overwhelming majority of the trees logged from these forests are destined to become wood chips for unsustainable paper products. If left standing these forests will continue to provide essential habitat to sustain endangered species. Left standing the ancient eucalypts in the forests will continue capturing carbon in their soils, hold intrinsic and priceless value as undisturbed and fascinating forests,” Erik Hayward said.

"Sustainable timber Tasmania, the Tasmanian Liberal government and Tas Labor have had time to make the right choices to protect these places. They have failed. For the survival of endangered species, benefits to climate and the environment, native forests logging needs to end and we will not stop in the defence of our native forest,” Erik Hayward said.

Forest defenders have this morning reclaimed old growth forests with a shutdown protest.

Four forest defenders, including a retired organic gardener, a midwife, a law student and a nurse, have attached themselves to logging machinery.

“The logging in Wentworth Hills is out of control and needs to halt immediately to preserve old growth forests, critical carbon stores and wildlife habitat for rare and endangered species. Tasmania is losing ancient forests in Wentworth Hills at a rapid pace, some of the logging is happening at an altitude just below Hobart’s iconic Organ Pipes and trees as probably as old as 350 years old are being chainsawed,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.

“Woodchipping the native forests of Tasmania and these Wentworth Hills ancient forests continues to destroy our chances of reducing global warming and preventing the ongoing exacerbating of climate change. Just last week we halted 50 log trucks at Artec Woodchip mill in a few short hours, these trucks are carrying out the remnants of destruction of forests with hollow-bearing trees that are critical for the survival of threatened and endangered species,” Erik Hayward said.

“This morning we are halting the logging of old forests that is very destructive to carbon stores, wildlife and biodiversity.

In one area currently being lost to logging, two nests for the endangered wedge-tailed eagle are within 500m to 1km of the area being smashed.

Here in Wentworth Hills is the shameful outright conversion of emerging rainforest to eucalyptus woodland, this clearfell and burn destruction is eliminating the rainforests,” Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Organiser Erik Hayward said.

“Wentworth Hills is a dolerite plateau in Tasmania’s central highlands, where the gum-topped stringybark with a sub-canopy of rainforest trees are rich with native wildlife, including nine threatened fauna species. With high-quality habitat for the rare and vulnerable Spotted-tail quoll and significant habitat for the Endangered Grey goshawk, Masked owl and Tasmanian Devil. These forests are worth more standing,” Erik Hayward said.

“Premier Gutwein dangerously chooses extinction, economic damage and climate crimes as he fails to protect native forests. We will continue to take action in these forests to urgently protect native forests and mitigate the climate emergency, prevent the ongoing supply of conflict source timber to controversial Borneo logging giants, and halt the export of vast amounts of Tasmania’s endangered species habitat as woodchips to China,” Jenny Weber said.

Bob Brown Foundation has called on the Forest Practices Authority to revoke forest practices plans in 31 areas of forests on Tasmania’s Eastern Tiers. This is due to:

• A newly identified food source for Swift Parrot, the Eucalyptus brookeriana, ignored in current logging plans;
• A critically endangered woodland community, which is meant to be protected from logging, has not been correctly identified by 8 year old logging plans;
• Mapping system the logging authority relies on is inaccurate, out-dated and fails to recognise important habitat for critically endangered species;
• Forest Practices Authority has failed to comply with its own policy of adaptive management;

“Dr Webb has recently identified Eucalyptus brookeriana as an important food source for the critically endangered species. This is new science. None of the Forest Practices Plans for 31 coupes in the Eastern Tiers recognise this new finding and therefore there is a monumental failure to protect important habitat of a species that is on the brink of extinction,” Jenny Weber said.

“Furthermore, the critically endangered woodland community of Eucalyptus brookeriana /Eucalyptus ovata which is present in the Eastern Tiers, are still targeted by logging in forest practices plans that are eight years old. This is due to failure by the logging agency and authority to adapt their management,” Jenny Weber said.

“Tasmania has a critical role to play in securely protecting Swift Parrot habitat.  All nesting trees need to be left standing, not like the destruction of Eastern Tiers forests when at the height of the Swift Parrots breeding season logging was carried out at 2020.  While our Foundation was carrying out protests and surveys in these forests, Swift Parrots were present and trees with hollows were chain-sawed,” Jenny Weber said.

“To our knowledge this is the first time the Forest Practices Authority has been asked to revoke a series of forest practices plan.  Logging cannot go ahead without these plans.

We fully expect FPA, as the Regulator, will act responsibly to curb STT’s logging plans for the Eastern Tiers, in an effort to protect the Swift parrot.” Jenny Weber said.

“This negligent destruction is happening on Premier Gutwein’s watch as he oversees the path to extinction for the fastest parrot on Earth,” Jenny Weber said.

Affidavits by Dr Matt Webb for the Great Forest Case

Bob Brown Foundation Forest Defenders are currently engaged in a protest halting logging in the Styx Valley, Tasmania.

“We are in forests that are just two kilometres from the Styx river regional reserve, along the major tourism route to iconic Styx Big Tree walk. I am surrounded by logging in forests that have hollow bearing trees, habitat for the Tasmanian Masked Owl, Grey goshawks and potentially the critically endangered Swift Parrot,” said Colette Harmsen, Forest Defender.

“The tallest flowering plant of all plants is still being lost in Tasmania’s logging tragedy. Logging has been halted in these significant tall old growth forests, as we highlight that the loss of ancient native forests continues in Tasmania every day while Premier Gutwein fails to take climate action. Forests are irreplaceable carbon banks, but, when logged and burnt, emit megatonnes of greenhouse gases,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.

Patagonia, the outdoor apparel company has joined trail runners calling on Tasmania’s Premier to allow takayna Trail 2021 to go ahead.

In an alarming and outrageous move last week, Forestry Tasmania refused to allow the iconic sporting event, takayna Trail, to go ahead in Tasmania’s takayna / Tarkine.

“Patagonia has been a long-time supporter of Bob Brown Foundation and their campaign for World Heritage protection of takayna / Tarkine. We’ve been working alongside the Foundation since the takayna ultramarathon’s beginning and are alarmed that a ban on access by state forestry body Sustainable Timbers Tasmania could jeopardise the 2021 event. We echo calls for site access to be upheld. This low impact, environmentally friendly event is a highlight of the nation’s running calendar and asset to Tasmania’s north-west. Patagonia stands behind the Australian public’s right to access its public lands,” said Dane O’Shanassy, country director Patagonia Australia & New Zealand.

High profile Australian trail runners have rallied behind the takayna Trail, with many of the trail runners writing to Premier Gutwein. Trail runners, Majell Backhausen, Johnny Abegg and Pacha Light, will join Bob Brown Foundation in takayna / Tarkine for the 2021 takayna Trail.

"This is a watershed moment for the trail running community. We are faced with an opportunity to use our love for running, love for wild places and our individual voices as part of a passionate collective to change the way we can move forward in this climate emergency. Trail runners are part of the wider world of sports activists and we are now standing up for our sport, its people and the places we retreat to feel alive and to live in full, " said Patagonia Ambassador and takayna Trail Race lead, Majell Backhausen.

“The takayna Trail is my way of reconnecting with my childhood, having spent my early years growing up in Tasmania, intertwined with nature. I feel no government agency should have the capacity to “own” public land. The land is where we come from and is where we all draw connectivity and sense of self. I’ve frequented the forests of Tasmania since I was a young fella at the age of 10, navigating my family around the island, being drawn to the magical forests like those of the Tarkine. Now 41, I travel down to Tasmania to run the takayna Trail as a way of reliving those childhood memories and to make sure these wild places remain intact and flourishing. To have an agency like Forestry Tasmania attempt to “own” a forest, then to block our right to interact with nature, is heartbreaking, ” said Johnny Abegg, fellow co-founder of Surfers for Climate.

"Let us run. Let us fill our lungs with the air of ancient forests. Immersed in the magic and wisdom of the Tarkine wilderness with the heartbreaking thought that it could be our last chance to see it. Let us pass through this sacred land to protect it," said professional surfer, Pacha Light.

“Premier Gutwein will be responsible for robbing the north-west community of hundreds of thousands of dollars if takayna Trail is not permitted to go ahead in takayna / Tarkine. Tasmania’s government and their logging agency is locking the public out of public lands. Our drawcard event brings runners from around the world to Tasmania and the north-west needs the economic boost our ultra-marathon brings, particularly during the current tourism downturn. We demand that Premier Gutwein, as Minister for Tourism, provide access to public land for our legitimate sporting event that the public are entitled, by law, to attend,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.

"Two forest defenders have been arrested after a protest at Artec woodchip mill shut down the site for most of the day,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.

"Activists faced vandalism of cars, assaults from loggers and complacent police. Yet in the face of all that they stood strong for Tasmania's native forests, they stood proudly in the long tradition of non-violent protests, they stood strong for all the people who want action on climate change and an end to native forest logging," Jenny Weber said.

“Twenty protestors shut down the Artec woodchip mill in Tasmania’s north to protest the company’s ongoing woodchipping of Tasmania’s old growth and native forests. Export woodchipping continues to drive the loss of vast areas of native forests in Tasmania, including the old growth forests in Wentworth Hills and Swift Parrot habitat in the Eastern Tiers,” Jenny Weber said.

This morning twenty protestors shut down the Artec woodchip mill in Tasmania’s north to protest the company’s ongoing woodchipping of Tasmania’s old growth and native forests.

“Protesting in the ancient forests of Wentworth Hills for the past weeks we have been watching log trucks cart old growth forests out all night, it is an outrage and native forests in Tasmania need urgent protection. For the first time in a decade, a woodchip mill protest highlights the decades long woodchipping crisis that has exported precious native forests and endangered species habitat for wasteful consumption,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.

“Export woodchipping continues to drive the loss of vast areas of native forests in Tasmania, including the old growth forests in Wentworth Hills and Swift Parrot habitat in the Eastern Tiers, where recent protests have been carried out,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Organiser Erik Hayward said.

“Tasmania is plagued by continued destruction of Tasmania’s native forests and successive governments who have propped up the environmentally damaging industry. Every woodchip exported by Artec represents wildlife habitat loss, carbon storehouse destruction and destruction of some of the most critical native forests left on Earth,”
All protesters car tyres have been slashed by logging contractors.

An iconic north west Tasmanian tourism event is currently under threat due to refusal by the state forestry body, Sustainable Timbers Tasmania, to give permission to access public land. takayna Trail, a 51 km ultra marathon, is in its 3rd year. It is a major event for the north west region, bringing runners from around the world to visit this incredibly beautiful place. Today Sustainable Timbers Tasmania has refused access for the event to use public lands, which puts takayna Trail at risk of being cancelled.

"takayna Trail has become a world renowned event. Runners from all round Australia, and indeed from across the globe, travel to Tasmania to run through some of the most beautiful landscape on the planet. 75% of runners come from out of the state, with over 100 signed up for this year’s event. The ultra marathon puts well over $150,000 into the Tasmanian economy over the weekend with local accommodation and local contractors and suppliers, not including other expenditure from participants during their stay in Tasmania.

For forestry to deny this event access public land is an outrage. It puts this event at risk of being cancelled. Forestry's vengeful political stance in banning the event from public land should worry all Tasmanians. This is a low impact, environmentally friendly event, which brings much needed income into the North West. No reason has been given for the ban," said Jo Edwards, Bob Brown Foundation Event Manager.

"Sustainable Timber Tasmania has an obligation under government legislation to 'allow access to permanent timber production zone land for such purposes as are not incompatible with the management of permanent timber production zone land'. This blocking of a iconic tourism event appears to be bloody minded revenge for the Foundation's call for an end to native forest logging," said Jo Edwards.

“If it genuinely supports the concept of ‘mulitple use forests’ that it so often publicly promotes, Sustainable Timber Tasmania should grant permission for this sporting event to take place on public land, as required by the law.”

Copy of correspondence

Forest Defenders have this morning halted old growth forest logging in Wentworth Hills. Bob Brown Foundation has been carrying out a relentless campaign in the area, calling for an end to native forest logging.

“Two forest defenders have immobilised logging machines this morning, preventing them from intensive destruction of an ancient eucalyptus forest,” Bob Brown Campaign Manager, Jenny Weber said.

“Rampant and aggressive clearfelling of old growth forests is occurring right now in the Central Highlands, adjacent to the Wilderness World Heritage Area,” Ms Weber said.

Bob Brown Foundation is escalating forest protests in response to an increasing climate emergency, extinction crisis and large scale removal of Tasmania’s unique native forests.

“This waste must cease, the forests are worth more standing," concluded Ms Weber.

Popular Tasmanian landscape painter Val Whatley died in Deloraine last night, aged 79. 

Old friend and former Greens senator Bob Brown said Val has left a fine legacy of artworks and that she had played an important role in the creation of protected areas of Tasmanian wilderness from the Franklin River to the wild forests now in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. “Val captured the spirit of the Tasmanian wilderness in a way which entranced countless others. She backed that up with an active role in the campaigns that saw some of our wilderness areas protected. We have lost a wonderful advocate for nature.”

Valerie Dawn Whatley was born in Launceston in 1941 and had lessons from renowned art teacher Alex Szolomiak at Brooks High School. This led to a career which included sold-out exhibitions, in particular of her oil paintings of wild landscapes, the last of which was in Launceston in 2020. 

Val was an ardent conservationist and walked extensively in remote areas of Tasmania. She rafted the Franklin River twice as well as the Denison and Lower Gordon Rivers. Her paintings figured prominently in the campaigns to save these wild rivers and to establish the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area in the 1980s.

Val is survived by her daughter Triana, her son Shane, and their families. A celebration of her life will be held at Liffey in coming weeks.