DERWENT VALLEY RESIDENTS
“We are local Derwent Valley residents with genuine long-term interest in our community but we have been misled by forestry spin,” says local resident Bron Smith.
MEDIA RELEASE – Monday 11th May 2009
10 Derwent Valley Residents arrested for trespass in upper florentine
PREMIER REFUSES TO MEET WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WHILST Forestry Tasmania fail to provide proof of claim that 90% of the Upper Florentine Forest is unavailable for logging.
10 peaceful Derwent Valley residents today at 1pm took their campaign to save the Upper Florentine back to the office of Premier David Bartlett, who so far has refused point blank to meet with the community members; demanding an end to the current logging operation and for the government to provide proof that 90% of the Upper Florentine forest will never be logged.
“We are local Derwent Valley residents with genuine long-term interest in our community but we have been misled by forestry spin,” says local resident Bron Smith.
“We are disgusted and angered that Forestry Tasmania right now, with the help of the Tasmanian Police, is logging the heart out of the Upper Florentine, whilst the Tasmanian community still has not been shown the promised 90% of this magnificent forest that apparently will be saved.”
“We are all very proud to be part of the Mother’s Day 22 – the 22 people who were arrested for trespass in the Upper Florentine at yesterday’s rally, and to have stood up for what we believe in.”
“Forestry Tasmania stated on 13th of January 2009 that “90 percent of the Upper Florentine catchment is not available for forest harvesting”, and since then Forest Minister David Llewellyn and Federal Member Dick Adams have been repeating this figure as a fact.”
“We have tried for months to obtain proof of this figure of 90%, and finally in March received a letter from Forest Minister David Llewellyn admitting that “there is no map available which shows the precise boundaries that comprise the 90 per cent that they (Forestry Tasmania) estimate will never be harvested,” and that “actual location and extent cannot be mapped until more detailed pre-harvest planning has been completed.”
“The Derwent Valley community have had enough – we demand that logging stops immediately and that the Government shows us this supposed 90% of the Upper Florentine that is not available for logging.”
“These forests belong to the Tasmanian people, and Forestry Tasmania and our politicians should give us precise details of plans for its use, rather than hide behind spin,” says Bron Smith.
Download:
flori_From_Minister_Llewellyn_to_Inger_Visby_re_Upper_Florentine_-_pg_1.pdf
floriFrom_Dick_Adams_to_Lynda_Blyth_re_Upper_Florentine.pdf
floriFrom_Minister_Llewellyn_to_Inger_Visby_re_Upper_FLorentine_-_pg_2.pdf
Attached: – Letter from Minister David Llewellyn to Inger Visby 31.3.09
– Letter from Federal Member Dick Adams to Lynda Blyth 6.2.09
