Within days of 1500 people filling the Hobart City Hall in support of ending native forest logging in Tasmania, contractors working with Forestry Tasmania (Sustainable Timbers Tasmania) were clearing old growth trees from Coupe # FO020B in the Florentine.

The picturesque Florentine Valley is a little over 100km from Hobart and this week we are witnessing the removal of trees estimated to be more than 400 years old.

As we post this story some 20 forest defenders with the Bob Brown Foundation and Grassroots Action Network Tasmania are together united in a forest protest and immobilised the logging machines that are destroying this giant-tree-filled forest.

When a photograph emerged of a giant tree ‘single rider’ traveling through Maydena it went viral across social media.

Tasmanian Times can confirm the photograph was taken by Josh Halloran, a tour guide with a background in horticulture who came to Tasmania 11 months ago.

“I did not understand the forestry logging debate going on in Tasmania until I arrived here,” he said. “And since experiencing these magnificent old growth native forests I have become very passionate about the need to protect them from destruction.”

“I was driving along Gordon River Road, Maydena, around 1350 on Monday 14 August when I passed a truck near the Junee Road intersection,” said Halloran.

“I quickly turned around and began following the truck so I could take some photos.”

“I have seen photos like this before on social media and I thought it might help,” he said.

As soon as this image was posted onto social media both sides of the debate quickly responded as Facebook took off.

Amongst the shock and awe, the disgust, and the many comments from people who simply could not fathom that here we are in 2023 and giant trees, hundreds of years old are being removed from our forests, the usual names in support of these ongoing forestry (mal)practices came out in force.

Across a number of Facebook groups in the Huon Valley, where at the last census 74 people are estimated by the Department of State Growth to work in forestry, and only 39 people in the Huon Valley self-identified as working in forestry, the voices were very loud.

The comments came fast and furious over the ensuing hours from exclaiming the photo is fake, the truck has no number plates, it is not even a photo taken in Tasmania, it has been Photoshopped and it looks like an old photo.

Close up showing a mud covered number plate.

One of the most vocal was from long time forestry apologist George Harris, one time president of the now fading Huon Resource Group and now a removed member of the Labor Environment Action Network.

Harris said: “I’m calling it BULLSHIT! Those are old-style bolsters on that truck, they are no longer used.”

Brodie Geeves (Big Rig) from Geeveston commented: “I’ll add those are older style bolsters which I have not seen on a truck for a very long time.”

Further comments came from John Tacey, Managing Owner of Ferns of Tasmania whose business is harvesting and selling ancient tree ferns worldwide from our Tasmanian forests.

Tacey also admitted he is currently working in the Florentine area when he shouted: “propaganda, and no evidence of the where the photo was taken.”

When attempts were made to confirm the photograph was authentic Tacey stated “hasn’t he got the guts to put his name to it himself.”

And when another member of a Facebook group said; “OMG! Shameful activity! What an absolute travesty! Imagine the interest this remnant of a giant old tree would generate going through Hobart on the back of a truck,” to which Harris replied “if it came from the Florentine, it would not go through the streets of Hobart. I doubt it is anywhere near the dimensions of the Giant Tree category, and in that sense, it is not illegal. It should be proudly driven in daylight, as in this image.”

Perhaps the last word to Jessica Watson of Bennett’s fame: “Looks like my kid has taken a photo of a truck and pasted it to a picture of a road” followed by Todd Watson from Watson’s mill in Glen Huon: “Rather embarrassing photoshop job there.”

The evidence is in. The images are genuine.

The enclosed video footage taken by Halloran is confirmation along with his photos that:

  • this is Tasmania,
  • this is one very large tree, even if not meeting the arbitrary STT definition
  • the forest that is currently being decimated by STT’s contractor is gone forever.

Meanwhile yesterday the Minister for Resources, Felix Ellis, stated in a media release: “The Rockliff Liberal Government is committed to seeing Tasmania’s world-class forest management framework remain at the cutting edge and fit for purpose.”

Disclosure: Geoffrey Swan is a contributing editor and journalist with Tasmanian Times and is unapologetic about his stance on native logging. He is not a member of any political party or any association or foundation and he lives in the Huon Valley.

JAMIE KIRKPATRICK: We Must Find Better Ways to Protect Giant Trees.