Forest war looms at ‘ Camp Flozza’

HUNDREDS of conservationists have signed up to join the front line of forestry protests this summer if logging resumes in the forests of the Florentine Valley.

The area was the centre of long- running protests a decade ago, and the Wilderness Society says that should forestry resume in high conservation areas, hundreds will again turn out in opposition.

At the weekend, 300 people pledged to save a local forest giant known as the Home Tree and the rainforest in Florentine coupe TN005D, which is earmarked for logging.

“The Gutwein government claims that Sustainable

Timber Tasmania doesn’t log rainforests, big trees or oldgrowth rainforest but the public saw for themselves the truth – that it continues to log all three,” said Wilderness Society campaign manager Tom Allen.

“Not only is this unforgivable, given the climate and extinction crises, but it means wood that comes from high conservation value forests is tainted, unethical and unpopular. It’s like shooting elephants for ivory.

“The sooner Tasmania goes 100 per cent plantation forestry, the better.

“Attendees pledged to protect this forest and return if it is immediately threatened with logging by signing their handprint onto a pledge ban

ner, which was then hung from a huge tree in the coupe.”

The Florentine Valley was the scene of long- running protests over the logging of native forests which came to a head around a protest camp, ‘ Camp Flozza’, in 2009.

Confrontations between police and protesters resulted in dozens of arrests.

Parts of the area were added to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area following a boundary extension in 2013.

Smaller protests in recent years have focused on the Tarkine and the Styx River Valley, although anti- forestry protests have largely waned in recent years.

Claire Burgess from Extinction Rebellion Tasmania

said there was an resurgent awareness of the need to protest forests.

“Citizens are rising because they want to be able to look their children in the eye and say they did everything they could,” she said.

Primary Industries Minister Guy Barnett, whose portfolio includes forestry, was not impressed.

“This is no surprise as we know the Greens and their allies will try everything to stir up conflict to suit their political purposes,” he said.

“However, we will not accept extremist protesters targeting businesses, workers and their families and stopping them from earning a lawful living.”