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Yet again following a widely publicised allegation of tree spiking and the Premier’s blaming of environmentalists (TT here … and … here), Tasmania Police have found no offence could be established because of a lack of evidence, the Australian Greens said.
“Whilst I welcome Tasmania Police’s confirmation that no evidence of tree spiking was found and so no offence could be established, Tasmania Police needs to tell the public why no evidence was found when the Premier Lara Giddings said she had seen the tree spikes,” Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.
“What happened to the evidence which coincidentally was found on the very day the Premier was at Ta Ann? (TT here … and … here)
“If metal was found, then someone must have found it and reported it and the evidence exists or it doesn’t or the Premier was set up.
“A report was made to Tasmania Police on the 17th February so some evidence must have been provided to support the claims. Where is it now?
“In the light of these concerns I am pursuing the matter with Tasmania Police.
This pattern of behaviour is a regular occurrence in the long running campaign to save Tasmania’s forests. It began with the allegation of the Black River bomb in 1991 and continues to this day.
“At a critical time in any negotiation, allegations of vandalism are made and ultimately no one is ever charged. But in the meantime, maximum media attention is garnered to support the logging industry and environmentalists are blamed, abused and harassed.
“The intention is to take the spotlight off the industry. In this case Ta Ann was under scrutiny for taking logs from high conservation forests and Forestry Tasmania was under pressure to admit that it had overallocated and overcut the forests. Ta Ann shed jobs and tensions were running high.
“What a perfect time to rev up anger against the conservation movement rather than focus on who really is responsible for the disastrous failure to manage Tasmania’s forest industry.
“This pattern of behaviour has to stop. I will not stop following up these incidents until the perpetrators of the fake Black River bomb and the vandalism of machinery in the Southern Forests are found.”
Download Tasmania Police letter to Senator Milne:
Tas_Pol_letter_to_Milne_tree_spiking.pdf
• NO EVIDENCE FOR TREE SPIKING CLAIMS
Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
The Tasmanian Greens said that any future allegations linking environmentalists to suspected industrial sabotage should be treated with extreme scepticism, in light of confirmation by Tasmania Police that no evidence had been found to support the latest tree spiking claims.
“There has never been any proof that Tasmanian environmentalists have been involved in tree spiking, and these claims need to be treated with extreme suspicion whenever they are made,” Greens Leader Nick McKim said.
“These allegations always surface at critical points in the forestry debate, just when the industry wants to take the spotlight off its own failings or when critical decisions are looming.”
“Lessons need to be learned so that we don’t see another repeat of this kind of scapegoating.”
“Previously Tasmania Police has publicly rebuked people, including politicians, for pointing the finger without proof, saying that it was not helpful to the investigation.”
“Pointing the finger over this type of activity without evidence only fuels hysteria and anger in the community.”
•Environment groups welcome plantation processing feasibility, and further economic diversification for regional Tasmania
The Australian Conservation Foundation, the Wilderness Society and Environment Tasmania have welcomed another round of Federal Government assistance for projects to help diversify and strengthen Tasmanian regional economies — including a feasibility study led by a collective of sawmillers, into a co-op facility to process plantations into solid wood products.
Regional Development Minister Simon Crean today announced support for two more projects — one to help the Tasmanian Sawmillers Association undertake a feasibility study into value adding opportunities and one to support the new Centre for Food Innovation.
“It is a very positive sign that the sawmillers association are looking at practical steps to switch from processing native forests to processing our existing plantations into solid wood products via new technology,” said Dr Phill Pullinger, Director of Environment Tasmania.
“We welcome the sawmillers’ forward thinking in investigating these new technologies – it gives a glimpse at what might be possible if the forests agreement can be successfully finalised,” said Dr Pullinger.
”These new initiatives are positive. The delivery of conservation outcomes remains a fundamental requirement to help move Tasmania on,” said Vica Bayley from the Wilderness Society.
“This will provide the certainty, market environment and broad public support needed for a strong forestry industry vision and projects like the sawmillers’ proposal to get off the ground,” added Mr Bayley
“The old business model for forestry in Tasmania is broken. The way forward is the path provided by the Intergovernmental Agreement and this critical package to help Tasmania’s economy broaden and diversify on an ecologically and socially sustainable footing,” said Denise Boyd from the Australian Conservation Foundation.
