BROWN TAKES FORESTER BACK TO COURT

THE Bob Brown Foundation is again taking court action against Sustainable Timber Tasmania, after the forester refused a permit for the organisation to hold its annual Tarkine wilderness marathon.

The takayna trail marathon, scheduled to begin on March 20, has been held over the past two years in the wilderness of the North-West rainforest.

A directions hearing will be held on Thursday in the Supreme

Court of Tasmania.

Bob Brown said STT had an obligation under government legislation to allow access to timber production zones.

“We are fighting for the rights of all Tasmanians to access and enjoy their public lands. We will not have that right taken from us just because Sustainable Timber Tasmania doesn’t like our campaigns to protect the environment,” he said.

“If we don’t stand up for this right, Sustainable Timber Tasmania will be emboldened to lock out anyone they don’t agree with from the public lands they are tasked with managing.”

STT said the marathon aimed to raise money to support activities hindering the management of permanent timber production zone land, and therefore “not supported by Sustainable Timber Tasmania”.

A TASMANIAN man will spend nine months in jail after police raids of his car and home uncovered enough MDA and MDMA to make almost 2000 ecstasy tablets.

Jacob Anthony Burdon, 30, faced the Supreme Court of Tasmania this week after pleading guilty to trafficking a controlled drug as well as minor offences in using cannabis and cocaine.

While sentencing, Justice Michael Brett said police searched Burdon’s car during March 2018, then searched his home. They found 398.8g of MDMA and 55g of MDA, which the judge said equated to 1815 ecstasy tablets with a street value between $72,000 and $90,750.

He said Burdon conceded he was transporting and concealing the drugs for the purpose of selling them, but said a significant amount was intended for his own use. Justice Brett said Burdon had a longstanding drug problem and a number of prior drug convictions.

In 2014, he was briefly jailed for receiving a trafficable quantity of Ritalin in a portal delivery.

Burdon was jailed for 18 months, dated back to December last year, with a ninemonth non-parole period.

Justice Brett also ordered that Burdon pay the $6090 cost of drug analysis.