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Forest Action Trust (FAT)
is a Melbourne-based grassroots forest campaign collective. We
are a non-profit group involved in community campaigning, fundraising,
direct action, activist training and environmental arts projects.
We welcome new people, ideas and energy..
FAT meets on Monday evenings
at 6pm at Friends of the Earth (but cancelled this week for the
Forests and Free Speech Public Meeting - see below)
312 Smith St, Collingwood
For more information email
FAT@riseup.net or call 0402 699 800/0422 279 845
p.s. this site is still
under construction, so just look for links that work...
Current News
Gala Performance: Miss Management and Scott
Free How Bracks beats the rap in Red Gum Forests 10/10/06
Environmentalists staged a slap-stick circus
performance for Premier Bracks today, in which beauty pageant winner
Miss Management plays the government's star red gum forest manager.
Scott Free will be on hand to wipe away cases of illegal logging
blunders with his trusty internal inquiries.
"Illegal logging blunders have become
commonplace in the Barmah Forest, and yet all we get from the
Bracks government are inquiries recommending more inquiries -
it's farcical" said Friends of Earth Spokesperson Jonathan
La Nauze.
"Our red gum forests are being mismanaged
by a reckless department, and the Bracks government seems reluctant
to reign them in" said Mr La Nauze.
Environment Groups have been urging the Environment
Minister to meet them regarding the management of red gum forests,
but he has failed to respond.
"Our red gum forests can’t wait
for another breach and another inquiry - Bracks must protect these
forests from logging now" said Mr La Nauze.
Water catchment logging operations shutdown
25/9/06
Thirty conservationists have shut down logging
operations in the Goongerah township water catchment east of Melbourne.
Logging operations have been halted by three
tree platforms suspended in the canopy, as well as a tripod stopping
access to the forest in which logging was taking place.
Spokesperson for the group Lauren Caulfield
said "It is ludicrous to be logging water catchments such
as this one when water restrictions are in force across most of
the state. It is scientifically accepted fact that logging in
water catchments dramatically reduces water supply to towns and
cities."
"Victoria is a matter of months away
from a state election, in which water supply and environmental
issues will be at the fore, yet Premier Steve Bracks still refuses
to acknowledge the elephant in the corner that is logging of our
water catchments. Instead we are saddled with increasing water
restrictions and the logging continues unrestricted."
"It is unacceptable that four out of
five of Melbourne’s water catchments are currently being
logged. The ALP are lagging behind, it is time for Bracks to act
and stop logging in our states water catchments."
"Victorian communities and voters are
up in arms at the allowance of logging in our water catchments
and demand that Bracks act to protect our water supplies and forests."
Said Ms Caulfield.
For media comment contact Lauren Caulfield
03) 51540156 (Melbourne contact Louise Morris 03) 94198700.
Woodchip Ship Stopped
25/7/06
Fifteen conservationists have entered Victoria’s
largest export woodchip facility this morning, preventing the loading
of a shipment of Victorian native forest woodchips bound for Japan.
The conservationists have ‘locked on’
to the conveyer belt and have boarded the ship.
The woodchip facility exports native forest
woodchips from the East Gippsland region, where there has been
a massive increase in logging in the Tambo forest management area.
Logs are taken to Geelong by the train from Bairnsdale and are
turned into woodchips at the docks before being exported to Japan.
"While local mills in East Gippsland
are closing due to lack of logs, whole logs are being taken from
the region to be exported as woodchips to Japan. Local people
have being putting up with increased log trucks through town,
and seeing our forests disappearing down the line on the train
with absolutely no benefit to East Gippsland" said spokesperson
Danya Brix.
"The Bracks government must act by protecting
native forests from the export woodchipping industry before it’s
too late. State Labor governments in New South Wales, Queensland
and Western Australia have recently moved to protect large areas
of forests, yet the Bracks government allows this needless destruction
and export of our native forests for a pittance" she concluded.
Homeless parrots in the fire
18 August 2005
Call for a moratorium on logging Barmah State
Forest in demonstration at Premier's office
Photo opportunity, 1 Treasury Place East
Melbourne Thursday 17 August 8:30am (photos)
Activists are today gathering at the Premier’s
Office to demand action over a logging breach in the iconic Barmah
State Forest.
"The Department of Sustainability and
Environment just illegally destroyed 15% of the Victorian breeding
grounds of the nationally threatened Superb Parrot", said
Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson. "Bracks
must stop this vandalism of Yorta Yorta traditional lands now."
Environmentalists and Yorta Yorta Traditional
Owners will construct a mock lounge room outside Premier Bracks’
office. Pyjama-clad campaigners will be sitting on a couch by
the fire, tossing ‘superb parrot logs’ on to keep
warm.
Every year Melbournians burn more than 115,000
tonnes of red gum firewood ? some of that will come from illegally
harvested superb parrot habitat.
"As Melbournians burn red gum to warm
their homes, they are inadvertently burning the home of the threatened
Superb Parrot," said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth
spokesperson.
Afterwards, representatives will present
a letter outlining their demands to the Premier's Office.
"We will be calling for an immediate
moratorium on all logging in Barmah ? DSE have proved they can’t
be trusted," said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth
spokesperson.
Comments and Interviews available
Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth m:
0402 904 251
Henry Atkinson, Yorta Yorta Nation Elders
Council m: 0415 287 263
Gunns Ltd Propsed Pulp Mill
Australian woodchipping Giant Gunns Ltd.
is proposing to build a pulp mill at Longreach in the Tamar Valley,
Tasmania. This means further clearfelling and burning of native
forets, intensive burning regimes, aerial spraying and chemical
use in water supply catchments and the use of 1080 poison. The
proposed mill requires 30 years guaranteed access to Tasmania's
native forests. Landclearing and forest destruction will also
increase as new plantations are established to feed the mill.
For more information on the mill proposal: Pulpmill
General Fact Sheet.
Bowing to public outcry, the Resource Planning
and Development Commission announced in mid-July that the public
will have the opportunity to comment on Gunns’ revised and
expanded pulp mill proposal.
The Federal Government, which has a separate
approvals process for the pulp mill, has now requested an entirely
new proposal from Gunns; once submitted, the new proposal will
be opened for public comment. Dates have not been specified. Watch
this space for further updates and information.
Public Response to Nippon Paper Group
As indicated in mid-2004, Mitsubishi Paper
Mills recently announced that they would no longer buy woodchips
from oldgrowth forests. Up until now, Mitsubishi has purchased
approx 400,000 tonnes of Tasmanian woodchips annually. In the
wake of Mitsubishi's decision, another major consumer of Tasmanian
woodchips, Nippon Paper Group, called for public comment to aid
in the formulation the philosophy and basic policy on raw materials
procurement. The comment period, which closed on 19 July, saw
the lodging of submissions not only from conservationists, but
also from Forestry Tasmania and industry lobby groups. Head of
Forestry Tasmania, Evan Rolley, emailed all 850 employees of Forestry
Tasmania suggesting they urgently, but privately, express their
support for the logging of Tasmania's native forests to Nippon
(The Mercury, 21 July 2005). He has since left on a tour of Asian
woodchip customers, to lobby for their continued role in the destruction
of Tasmania's high conservation value forests. He would be best
to save his time and energy, and focus on assisting his industry
transit out of relying on these forests. Nippon has not announced
any date for the release of its new policy.
Forests and Free Speech: A National Tour
Tasmanian based timber company Gunns Ltd
has made a name for itself on many fronts; the largest export
wood chipper in Australia, it operates the southern hemisphere's
largest woodchip mill and is now taking legal action against 20
individuals and organisations to the sum of $6.35 million.
Determined not to be silenced, these dedicated
campaigners are taking the issues raised by this lawsuit on the
road, to the rest of Australia and overseas. Central to their
concerns are issues that relate to all sectors of the Australian
community who may need to speak out against corporate activities
during their working or personal lives.
- Freedom of speech and democratic process
- The right to peaceful protest
- Corporate governance
- Opportunities for legislative reform
- The importance of Tasmania’s forests
The national tour will start its hectic schedule
of events in late August in Southern Queensland then moving onto
NSW in September, Victoria in October and through to South Australia
and Western Australia in November.
Forums and public meetings held as part of
the national tour will not only address the issues raised by this
litigation, but also provide information on how to continue campaigning
while staying safe, how to support the defendants in this case
and strengthen the campaigns to protect both our forests and civil
liberties.
The tour is being co-ordinated by Louise
Morris (defendant #8) and Luke Chamberlain and will consist of
presentations from a variety of defendants, legal identities,
local activists and special guest celebrity appearances at the
larger metropolitan centres.
For more information on the tour contact
Louise Morris 0408 667 100, (03) 9662 2162
www.treedomfighters.org.au
Download: A3
Tour Poster
Download: Gunns
August 2005 Bulletin
Current News
Forests and Free Speech Public Meeting
Monday 14th November, 6.30 pm
Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston st, Melbourne
Guest Speakers: Peter Cundall, Gardening
Guru, Fabian Dattner, Leadership Trainer and Brian Walters, President
Liberty Victoria.
The Tasmanian Forest Defenders invite you
to hear about their extraordinary fight to save Tasmania's old
growth forests and how they have been sued for more than $6 million
by Gunns Ltd - Australia's largest woodchip company. Learn how
a landmark legal case may forever change the face of free speech
and community participation in Australia.
Please come along and bring as many people
as possible.
We'd also greatly appreciate help at the meeting with staffing
info tables, ushering etc. If you can help out, please drop me
a line (0402 699 800).
Many thanks and hopefully see you on Monday.
Homeless parrots in the fire
18 August 2005
Call for a moratorium on logging Barmah State
Forest in demonstration at Premier's office
Photo opportunity, 1 Treasury Place East
Melbourne Thursday 17 August 8:30am (photos)
Activists are today gathering at the Premier's
Office to demand action over a logging breach in the iconic Barmah
State Forest.
"The Department of Sustainability and Environment
just illegally destroyed 15% of the Victorian breeding grounds
of the nationally threatened Superb Parrot", said Jonathan La
Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson. "Bracks must stop this
vandalism of Yorta Yorta traditional lands now."
Environmentalists and Yorta Yorta Traditional
Owners will construct a mock lounge room outside Premier Bracks'
office. Pyjama-clad campaigners will be sitting on a couch by
the fire, tossing 'superb parrot logs' on to keep warm.
Every year Melbournians burn more than 115,000
tonnes of red gum firewood , some of that will come from illegally
harvested superb parrot habitat.
"As Melbournians burn red gum to warm their
homes, they are inadvertently burning the home of the threatened
Superb Parrot," said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.
Afterwards, representatives will present
a letter outlining their demands to the Premier's Office.
"We will be calling for an immediate moratorium
on all logging in Barmah, DSE have proved they can't be trusted,"
said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.
Comments and Interviews available
Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth m:
0402 904 251
Henry Atkinson, Yorta Yorta Nation Elders
Council m: 0415 287 263
Gunns Ltd Propsed Pulp Mill
Pulp mill update
Australian woodchipping Giant Gunns Ltd.
is proposing to build a pulp mill at Longreach in the Tamar Valley,
Tasmania. This means further clearfelling and burning of native
forets, intensive burning regimes, aerial spraying and chemical
use in water supply catchments and the use of 1080 poison. The
proposed mill requires 30 years guaranteed access to Tasmania's
native forests. Landclearing and forest destruction will also
increase as new plantations are established to feed the mill.
For more information on the mill proposal: Pulpmill
General Fact Sheet.
Bowing to public outcry, the Resource Planning
and Development Commission announced in mid-July that the public
will have the opportunity to comment on Gunns' revised and expanded
pulp mill proposal.
The Federal Government, which has a separate
approvals process for the pulp mill, has now requested an entirely
new proposal from Gunns; once submitted, the new proposal will
be opened for public comment. Dates have not been specified. Watch
this space for further updates and information.
Public Response to Nippon Paper Group
As indicated in mid-2004, Mitsubishi Paper
Mills recently announced that they would no longer buy woodchips
from oldgrowth forests. Up until now, Mitsubishi has purchased
approx 400,000 tonnes of Tasmanian woodchips annually. In the
wake of Mitsubishi's decision, another major consumer of Tasmanian
woodchips, Nippon Paper Group, called for public comment to aid
in the formulation the philosophy and basic policy on raw materials
procurement. The comment period, which closed on 19 July, saw
the lodging of submissions not only from conservationists, but
also from Forestry Tasmania and industry lobby groups. Head of
Forestry Tasmania, Evan Rolley, emailed all 850 employees of Forestry
Tasmania suggesting they urgently, but privately, express their
support for the logging of Tasmani's native forests to Nippon
(The Mercury, 21 July 2005). He has since left on a tour of Asian
woodchip customers, to lobby for their continued role in the destruction
of Tasmania's high conservation value forests. He would be best
to save his time and energy, and focus on assisting his industry
transit out of relying on these forests. Nippon has not announced
any date for the release of its new policy.
Forests and Free Speech: A National Tour
Tasmanian based timber company Gunns Ltd
has made a name for itself on many fronts; the largest export
wood chipper in Australia, it operates the southern hemispher's
largest woodchip mill and is now taking legal action against 20
individuals and organisations to the sum of $6.35 million.
Determined not to be silenced, these dedicated
campaigners are taking the issues raised by this lawsuit on the
road, to the rest of Australia and overseas. Central to their
concerns are issues that relate to all sectors of the Australian
community who may need to speak out against corporate activities
during their working or personal lives.
- Freedom of speech and democratic process
- The right to peaceful protest
- Corporate governance
- Opportunities for legislative reform
- The importance of Tasmania’s forests
The national tour will start its hectic schedule
of events in late August in Southern Queensland then moving onto
NSW in September, Victoria in October and through to South Australia
and Western Australia in November.
Forums and public meetings held as part of
the national tour will not only address the issues raised by this
litigation, but also provide information on how to continue campaigning
while staying safe, how to support the defendants in this case
and strengthen the campaigns to protect both our forests and civil
liberties.
The tour is being co-ordinated by Louise
Morris (defendant #8) and Luke Chamberlain and will consist of
presentations from a variety of defendants, legal identities,
local activists and special guest celebrity appearances at the
larger metropolitan centres.
For more information on the tour contact
Louise Morris 0408 667 100, (03) 9662 2162
www.treedomfighters.org.au
Download: A3
Tour Poster
Download: Gunns
August 2005 Bulletin
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