Dear Friends,
On Wednesday (9/2/00) police attempted
unsuccessfully to break up protestors at Riley's Ridge,
a critical wildlife corridor and scenic area just outside
Apollo Bay (see article below).
On Friday (11/2/00) logging crews started
work in another highly contentious area; Gail Clearing,
near the beautiful Cumberland River.
The Cumberland River is the last wild
river in Victoria with pristine catchments, and highly
significant eco-tourism and biodiversity values.
Riley's Ridge and the Cumberland River
are icon areas for environmentalists, tourism operators
and local residents. In October last year, Minister for
the Environment and Conservation, Sheryl Garbutt, accepted
advice and removed logging crews from both areas.
The reversal of her decision during the
final weeks of the West Regional Forest Agreement consultation
period has come as a serious shock to those who have participated
in the consultations in good faith. Many people are intending
to list Riley's Ridge and the Cumberland in their submissions
for protection in reserves.
We believe the Minister is being misdirected
by the forestry section of the Department of Natural Resources
and Environment. Despite the change of government this
department has shown little accountability for its actions
and has treated the public contemptuously throughout the
consultation period. Unless the Minister takes control
of DNRE she risks permanent damage to her credibility.
If you can help protect Riley's Ridge
and the Cumberland River area please e-mail sophia@pipeline.com.au,
or phone 0419 110083. For more information see http://www.oren.org.au
.
You can also write, FAX, phone or e-mail
the Ministers listed toward the end of this message. For
more information about the West RFA go to http://www.vicnet.net.au/~gcforum
or http://www.rfa.gov.au .
Please act now to save Riley's Ridge
and the Cumberland River before the West RFA is signed.
Yours sincerely,
Serena O'Meley Spokesperson Geelong
Community Forum
Diary Date
PICNIC AND RALLY
Saturday March 4th Meet at Moorpanyal
Park, 12pm for a picnic and entertainment before walking
to the Miday woodchip mill. (The Esplanade, North Shore
Geelong: Melways Ref 226 E2)
Organised by over 20 environment groups
from the Western region. There will be bands and other
entertainment, in a family-oriented event.
All welcome.
*Article published in the Geelong Independent* 10/2/2000
TENSIONS FLARE IN OTWAYS
by Wade Pearce
Tensions are flaring between police and
anti-logging protestors in the Otways amid intense lobbying
to end logging in Geelong's water catchment.
At least 20 police and officers from the
Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE)
failed to break a blockade at Riley's Ridge yesterday
and Wednesday.
Attempts to remove protestors are likely
to continue today, despite increasing calls from Apollo
Bay business and community groups in support of the protestors.
Otway Ranges Environment Network spokesman
Simon Birrell labelled the police and DNRE action as inflammatory.
"For the last three months Riley's Ridge
has been occupied to prevent logging in a critical wildlife
corridor and to protect the scenic tourism values of Apollo
Bay and the Great Ocean Road," Mr Birrell said.
"An informal truce existed that allowed
loggers to still work in uncontentious areas. The DNRE
has broken this truce."
Protestors yesterday used a decoy blockade
at another active logging coupe near Apollo Bay to draw
police and DNRE officers away from Riley's Ridge.
Mr Birrell said the decoy enabled protestors
to reinforce the blockade at Riley's Ridge, visible from
the Great Ocean Road tourist route.
Colac police Sergeant Carl Bolton said one
person has been arrested and charged with hindering a
DNRE officer at the decoy blockade at coupe nine.
"Our role is really to support the officers
from the DNRE as far as arrests go," Seargeant Bolton
said.
"They've got the management of the coupe."
Forestry Victoria manager for western Victoria
Peter Keppel said DNRE officers had no choice but to break
the blockade to keep sawmills going.
"We've been shying away from (OREN's list
of sensitive) coupes in the hope they would change their
stance," Mr Keppel said.
"But it's got to the stage where to meet
our commitments to sawmills, we need to commence harvesting
in these coupes."
Surf Coast Shire and the City of Greater
Geelong made recent calls to end logging in Otways water
catchments and tourism areas. Both councils fear the impact
of logging in native forests on tourism and water supplies.
Apollo Bay Chamber of Commerce also called
for an end to logging to safeguard eco-tourism.
More than 250 people at a public meeting
in Geelong on Tuesday to discuss the Regional Forest Agreement
(RFA) pledged their support for Riley's Ridge protestors.
Geelong Community Forum spokeswoman and
meeting organiser Serena O'Meley said the police and DNRE
action raised doubts about Environment and Conservation
Minister Sheryl Garbutt's commitment to the RFA consultation
process."
"It has been made abundantly clear to the
Minister and her advisers that the Riley's Ridge blockade
has broad-based community support," Ms O'Meley said.
"By making the area secure for logging,
the Minister is throwing the west RFA consultation process
into disrepute."
This week's public meeting heard strong
criticism of the draft RFA from land management expert
RMIT University Professor Tony Norton.
"In my judgement, the government documentation
prepared for the western Victorian RFA is probably the
most incomplete and poorly based of any yet prepared for
an RFA in Australia," Prof. Norton said.
Ms Garbutt was not available for comment
yesterday.
END
Hon.
Sheryl Garbutt, MP Minister for Conservation
and Environment
Level 17, 8 Nicholson Street
EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002
Phone: 9637 8910 Fax: 9637 8920
"Sheryl Garbutt" Email
Hon.
John Pandanzopoulos, MP Minister for Tourism
Level 15, 55 Collins Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
Phone: 9651 9320 Fax: 9651 9944
The Hon
S Bracks MP (Steve) Premier of Victoria
1 Treasury Place
MELBOURNE VIC 3002
Steve Bracks
Email
The Hon J Brumby MP (John) Minister for State
and Regional Development Level 4, 1 Treasury Place
MELBOURNE VIC 3002
Phone: 9651 6255 Fax: 9651 0759
John Brumby Email
