Community Yarn of Knitting Grans Stitches Up Logging

Via Steve Meacher. 19 August 2012

Community opposition to controversial logging near Toolangi continued this morning.

With knitting needles, chairs and chocolate, a knitting circle settled into a productive knit-in and a yarn, stopping logging for two and a half hours.

Through the rising morning mist, a skein of six grandmothers and two grandfathers briskly walked up Monda Track to the notorious logging coupe of Leo’s Foot, on Mount Saint Leonard in the Yarra Valley.

“Between us we have 28 grandchildren. We are all concerned they will never see our magnificent Mountain Ash forest,” says Kerryn Blackshaw, local Toolangi grandmother.

“Logging is costing Toolangi its tall trees. We must stop this destructive clearfelling in our local environment.”

When police arrived, the Community Yarn of Knitting Grands left peacefully, without dropping a stitch.

DPI and DSE drop charges against logging protesters at Mt St Leonard

From Steve Meacher

Good afternoon Forest Friends,

A large number of charges brought by the DPI and DSE against several anti-logging protesters will finally come to Ringwood Magistrates’ Court this Thursday morning, 6th September.

Many of the charges relate to protests that disrupted clear-fell logging on Sylvia Creek Road in Toolangi State Forest in July and August last year. The protests only ended when logging of the coupe known as “Gun Barrel” was stopped by a Supreme Court interim injunction, obtained by Healesville non-profit environment group MyEnvironment at the end of August, 2011. Clear-fell logging, and protest actions against it, are continuing at other nearby locations including Mount St Leonard (see photo taken today of Leo's Foot and South End coupes).

It is understood that the charges, most of which have been hanging over protesters for twelve months, are all to be withdrawn by the Department when their cases are called on Thursday. It is also understood that no reason for the decision to withdraw the charges has been given to the accused.

The withdrawal of all charges against community members and activists who defended Gun Barrel coupe last year is a significant win for us and supports our decision to protect this beautiful forest on our doorstep, which we know to be critical habitat for the Leadbeater’s Possum. It is particularly appropriate that these charges are being withdrawn on the eve of Threatened Species’ Day, which marks the death of the last Thylacine in 1936. We won’t stand by and watch the extinction of another unique animal without doing all we can to prevent it.

For the forests,

Steve

A calm approach at Mt St Leonard

Steve Meacher

Mt St Leonard logging. Credit: Steve Meacher

Aerial photo of Central Highlands logging. Credit: Sarah Rees

Good afternoon forest friends,

After a squally start, it's been a beautiful day up here in Toolangi, reminding us that winter is coming to a close.

Despite the early wind and rain, a small but significant action took place this morning at Leo's Foot coupe on the western face of Mount St Leonard (see attached photo, taken today). Having seen four early log-trucks leave the coupe fully-laden and a kangaroo hopping out of the way in a panic, soon after 7:00am members of the local community walked cheerfully but calmly into the log landing area and settled down on the logs to await events. There was no immediate response from contractors present other than to make some brief 'phone calls. A VicForests officer walked by without comment.

After a while DSE officers arrived followed by the police. The conduct of the police was friendly but one of the group was singled out and separated from the others. Unbowed, she took the opportunity to explain how the DSE is failing to uphold its charter by not protecting native forests and Leadbeater's Possum.

Meanwhile, the main group were asking the police about so-called "citizens' arrests", as allegedly encouraged on their website by Friends of Fibbers. The police gave clear assurance that such behaviour was not an appropriate response to non-violent protest. One officer also commended the community on the peaceful conduct of its extended campaign.

Having achieved their aims in dignity and with mutual respect, today's protesters agreed to leave the coupe without arrest. It was a deliberately low-key, non-confrontational event, designed to demonstrate that the aggressive and violent behaviour shown by a few rogue logging contractors towards activists at recent protests will not be allowed to prevail.

In this, it was a total success. Thanks and congratulations to all involved. Once again, Toolangi stands tall!

For the forests,

Steve

Tree-pronged attack as Abbott throws down gauntlet on logging

Adam Morton
The Age (article), 8 June 2012

Braving yesterday's bracing weather, locals protest against logging at Mount St Leonard, near Healesville. Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has challenged Victoria's practice of clearfell logging native forests, saying few people would not be revolted by the damage it caused.

Speaking at a community forum at Mount Evelyn, east of Melbourne, Mr Abbott said he supported a sustainable native forestry industry, but took issue with clearfelling, in which a forest area is bulldozed, logged and the remains burned.

''I'm as much a conservationist as anyone, I'm as much a conservationist as Bob Brown,'' he told the forum. ''Do I support the clear felling of native forests? I would be most reluctant to do so. But do I want to ban all logging in native forests? No. I'd be very reluctant to do that.''

Mr Abbott said he supported sustainable logging of native forests, citing a Cape York program under which select trees were felled individually.

''You can't destroy the asset, but I do think the asset is there to be economically appreciated as well as aesthetically appreciated,'' he said.

His comments came as 31 people were arrested for blocking clearfell logging on the side of Mount St Leonard, near Healesville. About 70 local business owners and conservationists walked into a logging coupe early yesterday, some wearing masks with the face of Premier Ted Baillieu. Police said 31 were charged with failing to leave a public safety zone.

Protester organiser Chris Veenhuizen, owner of a local bed-and-breakfast and member of conservation group MyEnvironment, said visitors were being turned off by the destruction of clearly visible forest.
''The feedback we're getting from our visitors is they're not going to come back,'' she said. ''It's absolutely going to destroy the tourism business of this whole community.''

David Walsh, of government forestry agency VicForests, said timber from the Mount St Leonard area was crucial to it meeting demand for wood and wood products.

He said VicForests had previously responded to community concern by removing two coupes earmarked for logging and leaving a 50-metre forest buffer along a walking track.

''Timber harvesting has co-existed with tourism in the region for decades, and we believe both industries play an important role in the local economy,'' he said.

Victorian government media advisers did not return calls from The Age.