Media release – Concerned Residents Opposed to the Westbury Prison Site (CROWPS), 18 July 2021
Wood Hookers Allege to have Permit
The Northern Regional Prison Project Team advised CROWPS members on Friday 16 July 2021 that “further assessment of natural values of the site will be undertaken next week” and that “All required permissions have been obtained…”
CROWPS noticed the gate into the Brushy Rivulet Crown Reserve had been left open for the past three days and assumed assessment of natural values had commenced early. This work involved additional habitat assessment and dusk time observations. The clearly visible sign erected by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment (DPIPWE) on the gate, plainly states that the site is a protected area.
However, wood hookers were disturbed by CROWPS members today whilst felling and cutting up dry potential habitat trees for firewood in the Reserve. One of the occupants of the two vehicles on site claimed they had the required permit to take firewood but refused to produce it when asked. One of the alleged offenders advised a CROWPS member they were told they could take any dry trees within the proposed prison footprint as it was going to be cleared when the prison was built. They appeared to be very well informed on where they were permitted to go.
The police were called but the alleged offenders left the site just prior to their arrival with a trailer load of wood. Investigations are continuing.
If indeed a permit has been issued by the Tasmanian Government to take firewood from the reserve, it would be a blatant disregard and contempt for the government’s due diligence process. Potentially, this disruption to the reserve could compromise the scheduled dusk time observations.
CROWPS members are deeply concerned there may be a deliberate attempt by some to sabotage the endangered Tasmanian masked owls nests which are usually found in dry, hollow trees and other endangered flora and fauna. The active nest located in the proposed prison footprint should present a huge environmental problem for the state government in its quest to dump this prison in a reserve.
The local community continues to look out for the Brushy Rivulet Crown Reserve despite the government’s neglect for the past 22 years and inability to protect the reserve in perpetuity for future generations.
Media release – Westbury Region Against the Prison Inc, 19 July 2021
Inside information leads to environmental damage on prison site
WRAP members urgently gathered at the Westbury reserve Sunday morning in response to a concerned resident’s call to advise that people were on site felling trees.
“We met up with Aaron Reader, of CROWPS (Concerned Residents Opposed to the Westbury Prison Site) who had also been asked to urgently attend. By the time I arrived, the wood-hookers had just left but the police were in attendance and said that they would pay them a visit,” said Linda Poulton.
I saw that one tree had been felled within the proposed prison site. The wood-hookers had stated that they had been told to follow the pink painted dots to guide them to the proposed prison site, and to fell trees there as opposed to anywhere else in the reserve.
When questioned, they said that they had been issued a permit and told where to go by “‘Reevesy’ who is high up in Forestry”. No evidence of the permits had been produced.
“In the last sitting of Parliament, the Premier himself acknowledged the sensitive natural values of the reserve. More recently, the government conceded the prison proposal would need to be referred to Sussan Ley MP under the EPBC Act.
So the fact that illegal wood-hooking can occur on the reserve today, in this context, shows that the appalling mismanagement and neglect of this reserve.
Even worse, though, is the fact that someone with inside knowledge has directed these people to fell trees on the prison site itself, which is well known as critical habitat for threatened species. This adds a layer of premeditated malice to the whole exercise.
There were plenty of far more accessible places for opportunistic wood-hooking. It took additional effort to access the proposed prison site, and in fact one of the vehicles could not even make it up the hill.
These people were directed to remove trees from this part of the reserve by someone with inside knowledge, and Minister Barnett needs to conduct a thorough investigation together with Tasmania Police as to how this has occurred.
In the meantime, we urge the government to comply with its obligations to the federal government and protect the reserve from further illegal activities which threaten its acknowledged natural values including by preventing unlawful vehicular access, so that this cannot happen again.
