Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 22 August 2024
Swift Parrot defenders left to save the species in Supreme Court as logging continues
In a great outcome for swift parrots and their habitat, a Supreme Court case brought by Bob Brown Foundation against Forest Practices Authority has ended today due to Forestry Tasmania abandoning plans to log two areas of forests in the Eastern Tiers that were central to the case.
“In these critical swift parrot breeding forests, about 50% of the areas targeted for logging, and subject to this legal case, are still standing. The forests were defended by non-violent direct actions as logging was flattening critical habitat. Our foundation’s scientific research informed the legal battle which led to Forestry Tasmania withdrawing their plans to log these forests. In documents released during the case, Forestry Tasmania admitted they logged less forest than they initially intended to in both areas and they will not resume in one of the forests due to the presence of swift parrots,” said Jenny Weber, Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaigns Manager.
Bob Brown Foundation brought a Supreme Court case against the Forest Practices officer who signed off on forest killing plans. In Tooms Lake and Snow Hill, both forest areas in question were defended by Bob Brown Foundation in several frontline actions, including Bob Brown who was arrested in two forest coupes labelled TO055BEH in December 2020 and SH045A in November 2022.
“Forestry Tasmania have ripped up their operational plans and have renounced their controversial logging of swift parrot breeding habitat of the Eastern Tiers. We maintain that their logging was illegal because of the importance of this forest for the swift parrots. Due to scientific evidence brought forward by Bob Brown Foundation, Forestry Tasmania have been forced to recognise these forests are crucial swift parrot breeding areas,” said Jenny Weber.
“Forestry Tasmania have been forced to back down on logging 100 hectares of swift parrot forests but elsewhere in the parrots’ nurseries, they continue to log the critically endangered species habitat without remorse,” said Jenny Weber.
Under Tasmanian law, it is illegal to continue logging if swift parrots are present but logging continues in breeding habitat while the parrots are present and in forests with known nesting sites. Bob Brown Foundation has been pursuing this illegal logging in Tasmania’s Supreme court with our second Supreme Court case on behalf of swift parrots still ongoing.
Critically endangered swift parrots are currently heading to Tasmania from the mainland for the 2024/2025 breeding season, and BBF will be ready to geolocate them pinpoint their breeding and feeding locations and do whatever it takes to protect their habitat.
In a separate matter, Bob Brown is proceeding with an appeal to the Supreme Court against last week’s finding by Hobart Magistrate Harnett that he had trespassed in the Snow Hill logging coupe where swift parrots were present.
