FLORENTINE DEFENDANTS FILE FOR ‘ABUSE OF PROCESS’

FORESTRY TASMANIA SHIFTING THE GOALPOSTS IN CASE AGAINST 18 FLORENTINE FOREST CONSERVATIONISTS, WHILST FOREST STILL THREATENED

The trespass case against 18 Upper Florentine forest conservationists has been adjourned indefinitely, to allow the conservationists to run an ‘abuse of process’ case.

The dragged out case against the conservationists had already been adjourned for two weeks after Forestry Tasmania, in a stunning last gasp effort, announced they had miraculously unearthed a new and mysterious exclusion zone that the conservationists apparently entered when arrested in the Upper Florentine on Mother’s Day.

The trespass charges were expected to have been withdrawn by Tasmania Police due to Forestry Tasmania’s more than 200-metre-wide bungle in defining its own exclusion zone, which created a test case regarding this same matter against Ellendale resident Lynda Blyth to be dropped on 21st September, after the police chose to not present any evidence.

“We were of the clear impression that our case would be dropped, based on the test case of Lynda Blyth – we were all arrested in the same place, on the same day, on the same charge – what has changed?” said Andrew Nicholson, one of the defendants.

“Where was this new exclusion zone when the test case was determined?”

“It is highly confusing and perplexing; something suspect appears to have happened between the time of Ms Blyth’s test case and the case of the other 18 people facing the exact same trespass charge, we can only deduce that pressure has been brought to bear on police from somewhere above.”

We see no other avenue than to pursue a case of ‘abuse of process’.”

“We continue to be highly suspicious of Forestry Tasmania and their alleged new exclusion zone, which the police prosecutor stated on 28th September, was “unproclaimed”, and that the Police had “not been instructed to enforce.”

“It seems that the police have been instructed to get a conviction at any price, to regain a fragment of credibility for Forestry Tasmania, regardless of time and public resources. Meanwhile the raping and pillaging of the Upper Florentine continues,” Mr Nicholson stated.

The ‘abuse of process’ case will be next mentioned in the Hobart Magistrate Court on 5th November.

The conservationists, mostly middle-aged Derwent Valley and Central Highlands residents, are among the 22 people who were all arrested in the Upper Florentine forest on Mother’s Day this year. The arrests took place during a rally at which more than 200 people voiced their dissent against the destruction of the World Heritage quality values of the Upper Florentine forests.

The Upper Florentine valley is virtually surrounded by Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and is largely untouched by industrial logging. The forest contains large areas of old growth forest, as well as caves containing evidence of Aboriginal occupation stretching back around 30 000 years.

Faces of the Florentine will continue to encourage fellow Tasmanians to visit the Upper Florentine forest to judge the situation for themselves.
Faces of the Florentine Ordinary people standing up for an extraordinary forest