Claytons ‘Police Rescue’ Officer Unprofessional

19/01/2012
Claytons ‘Police Rescue’ Officer Unprofessional

Environmentalists used a large wooden tripod attached to a structure in
a tree 25 metres above ground with a person in it to halt logging
operations south of Eden on the New South Wales far south coast
yesterday.

Following the reports on unlawful logging the conservation group South
East Forest Rescue found illegal logging in Yambulla State Forest. This
is the third time these type of breaches had been discovered in these
particular forests. The conservationists called for a halt to logging
operations.

Four Rocky Outcrops in Compartment 444 had been logged. This is
unlawful under the licence conditions. The maximum punishment for this
offence is . However due to a state-sanctioned protection clause
citizens cannot bring proceedings on the state-run logging agency
Forests NSW or their authorised contractors for a breach of any Act or
ant law, no matter how great the environmental damage, or how unlawful
the operations are, in areas covered under Integrated Forestry
Operations Approvals (‘IFOA”).

Two persons were arrested. The group state that the methods used by the
police to clear the road were less than professional. The alleged police
rescue officer allowed a logging contractor to operate a logging machine
to dismantle the treesit while the person was still attached.

“The response from this alleged police rescue officer shows the complete lack of regard for the life of the person in the sit,” said Ms Stone of SEFR. “These operations are not ‘practice runs’ nor training sessions, someone’s life is at risk.”

Following a series of incidents in 2005, Police Rescue set down
procedure to be followed which included that a complete formal written
Risk Assessment must be carried out for each tree sit individually
before conducting the tensioning off procedure.

This is the fourth time that unsafe procedures have happened in the
hands of this officer. At Yambulla State Forest Cpt 444, on 17
November, the same officer in question did not take proper care. This
is contrasted with the past Bodalla Cpt 3043 on 14 February where the
operation was conducted smoothly and professionally by trained police
rescue officers.

“The officer did not have understanding nor experience to safely deal with the situation as was evidenced by the conduct of the tensioning off procedure of the tree sit,” said Ms Stone. “If the operation cannot be conducted safely then it should not be conducted at all. To allow unqualified, unskilled logging contractors and workers to do this work is not only unprofessional and highly unlawful, to treat someone’s life in such a careless way, is nothing short of unethical.”

This type of work is defined as ‘High Risk Work’. The definition of
High Risk Work is set out at reg 264B of the Occupational Health and
Safety Regulation 2001 (NSW) and is classified as advanced rigging for
which a person must have a licence.

“We have called on the Minister for Police to take action to ensure the people under his command adhere to the procedural regulations,” said Ms Stone. “Further we are calling on the NSW Minister for the Environment to prosecute Forests NSW and the logging contractor without further delay.”

The group has enlisted the help of the NSW Ombudsman.
Lisa Stone, South East Forest Rescue