Forest Rescue Halts Woodchipping Operation

More than 20 Forest Rescuers have halted logging in Compartment 124 of Dampier State Forest. This follows six weeks of successful action to stop roading and logging in wilderness old growth forests in nearby Badja State Forest, which also continues.

Tripods have been erected over logging equipment, and there is currently a stand-off between the Forest Rescuers and loggers. Both State Forests and the police are expected shortly.

'The Forest Rescue is calling for an end to the woodchipping of native forests in SE NSW. With the signing of the Southern Regional Forest Agreement (RFA), the trust of the people of NSW has been betrayed, and we now return to a time where the community have to put their own lives at risk to protect public forests from the woodchipper', stated Glen Klatovsky, NSW Campaign Manager for The Wilderness Society.

'The Forest Rescue would like the new owners of the Eden woodchip facility, Nippon Unipac, to respond positively to community concerns and close the operation immediately. It is no longer appropriate for Japan to be sourcing woodchips from Australia's last remaining old growth and wilderness forests, and we believe that after 32 years of clearing the forests of the south-east, we need to protect all remaining native forests', stated Harriet Swift, spokesperson for Chipstop.

'South-east Forest Rescue Squad are committed to bringing about an end to the unsustainable exploitation of our remaining native forests. We ask Bob Carr to listen to the community - no woodchipping, no clearfelling and no wood-fired power stations', concluded Annie Coleman, spokesperson for the SE Forest Rescue Squad.