Koala ‘massacre’ farmer says death threats made

The man accused of Victoria’s alleged koala massacre says he has been subject to a campaign of death threats after the incident that sparked a global online outcry.

But Keith Troeth – whose mother Judith Troeth was a senator for Victoria and parliamentary secretary for forestry in the Howard government – says he has done nothing wrong.

He says he will return to Victoria to face wildlife authorities, who he labelled ‘‘fascists’’.

Investigators from Victoria’s Conservation Regulator were still in the Cape Bridgewater area on Thursday, interviewing witnesses after at least 40 koalas were found dead and more than 140 were rescued from the former blue gum plantation after it had been logged and then bulldozed.

An angry Victorian government has threatened a tough legal response, but Troeth, who is working in NSW and remains adamant that most of the koalas found dead on the land died of starvation, says he is confident he is not guilty of animal cruelty.

Judith Troeth retired from politics nine years ago, has had no involvement in the family farming business for the past 30 years, has no financial interest in the land at Cape Bridgewater and no involvement in the logging or clearing operation.

She could not be contacted on Thursday for comment.

Troeth told The Age he had been targeted online since the news broke by ‘‘whackos’’ making threats against himself and his elderly father, Russell, who owns the property at Cape Bridgewater.

‘‘I’ve got a massive hate campaign against me and I’m copping death threats right, left and centre,’’ Troeth said.

‘‘They’re gonna burn down our house, with us in it, that’s their other threat.’’

Troeth said the former plantation remained locked down by investigators but that he was not concerned by the prospect of returning to Victoria to face wildlife authorities.

‘‘I’m not concerned because I’ve done nothing wrong,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ll come back, I’ve got nothing to hide. ‘‘The fascists have yet to complete their investigations so until that happens, I won’t be making any more comment.’’

A spokeswoman from the Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning said the full extent of koala deaths at the property was unknown.

‘‘We are still working through exact numbers while teams carry out searches of the site,’’ she said.

‘‘To date 143 koalas have been assessed with 84 released back into the wild.

‘‘The Conservation Regulator’s Major Investigations Unit remains on site collecting evidence and taking witness statements.’’

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