23 November, 2011

DSE to probe rainforest logging claims

Gus Goswell
ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), November 23, 2011

Anti-logging protesters have succeeded in stopping logging in a remote part of far East Gippsland.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) has agreed to investigate the protesters' claim that rainforest is threatened by logging on the Errinundra Plateau, north of Orbost.

It is illegal to log rainforest in Victoria.

Protesters have been disrupting operations in the forest coupe over the past fortnight.

Police went to the remote site yesterday to dismantle a tree platform built by the campaigners.

Officers had travelled to to the same coupe last week to demolish another tree platform.

The protesters have also been cabling logging machinery together.

The State Government owned timber company VicForests says four days of logging operations have had to be abandoned over the past fortnight because of the protests.

VicForests says no logging will take place in the contested section of the forest coupe while the DSE investigates the protesters' claims.

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