Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 1 February 2025
Tasmania’s Supreme Court stops logging
Bob Brown Foundation’s application for an injunction to stop the logging of swift parrot habitat south of Hobart was granted in Tasmania’s Supreme Court this afternoon.
“This is a huge win for Tasmania’s forests and wildlife. It is the first of a rolling series of challenges to the destruction of our heritage forests. This is both gratifying and a terrible indictment of the state and federal governments,” Bob Brown said outside the court.
“Gratifying in that the court needed to hear the case that the laws of the land prevent logging of the critically-endangered swift parrots’ habitat forest, not least nesting trees; but a terrible indictment of the state and federal governments which, if that case is upheld, are breaking their own laws by allowing the destruction of the birds’ habitat across Tasmania. They are hell-bent on criminalising those of us trying to uphold the laws while making champions of those in logging breaking the laws,” Brown said.
Justice Porter found that there is a serious question to be tried that logging of an area of forest west of Geeveston was in breach of the law, requiring a stay of logging when swift parrots were reported present in the forest.
“The Supreme Court hearing will begin in Hobart on a date to be set. Meanwhile, the logging as planned will not proceed although heavy machinery is parked in the forest ready to go under Forestry Tasmania’s licence.
“If the court upholds our case, we expect action to be taken against those who will have plundered this native forest illegally,” Brown added.
Bob Brown Foundation’s 2023/2024 swift parrot report is available here.
