The Tasmanian Premier and mainstream green groups have condemned an anti-logging protest at Ta Ann’s mill in Smithton. Sources: Yahoo, The Examiner, The Mercury, ABC News
Interstate students put their skills to the test at a post-graduation anti-forestry sight-seeing trip targeting timber company Ta Ann.
“People from across Australia have joined with local environmentalists to take part in today’s actions and are committed to continuing to take a stand for Tasmania’s forests,” former tree-sitter Miranda Gibson said.
Led by activists from the Huon Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened, 40 road-trip participants converged on Ta Ann’s Esperance logging coupe, erecting a tree sit and halting production.
Tasmanian Ali Alishah led a second group chained to gates and machinery at Ta Ann’s Huon Valley mill.
Protesters stormed the mill and 40 staff was forced to stop work while negotiations were conducted.
Almost half the protesters are now expected to face trespass charges by summons.
The same road trip shut down Ta Ann’s Smithton operations on Friday, prompting members of the community to take to the streets in anger.
About 40 activists gained access to Ta Ann’s timber mill, shutting it down for several hours.
Police broke up the protest, charging two people who had chained themselves to machinery with trespass and obstruction.
They belong to one of the groups outside Tasmania’s forestry peace process.
Within hours of environmental activists storming Ta Ann at Smithton, pro-development group Unlock Tasmania had organised a protest of its own against the protest.
More than 100 people joined the march down Smithton’s main street to show their support for the workers at Ta Ann.
Activist Miranda Gibson said the protesters are worried about Ta Ann’s use of Malaysian timber.
“In Sarawak, Ta Ann are involved in a timber industry that’s fraught with corruption,” she said.
“There are human rights abuses related with the displacement of indigenous people out of their homelands for logging on those lands.
“There’s also large-scale destruction of areas that are orangutan habitat and these operations are completely unacceptable.”
Michael Hirst, Liberal candidate and spokesman for the group Give it Back, said targeting Tasmanian workers to make an international statement is taking the issue too far.
“This is the great tragedy of it. They are focusing this protest on overseas logging, but they are hurting Tasmanian workers and the Tasmanian economy,” he said.
“They’ve campaigned against the regulated Tasmanian industry for 30 years and now, not only that, they are now targeting Tasmanian workers to get an outcome in another country.
“It’s gone beyond ridiculous.”
Premier Lara Giddings has described the protest as unacceptable.
“Enough is enough from these fringe groups, when the rest of the community has moved on.
“It is a selfish and unwise act of those people, it’s unsafe and I’m pleased to see that strong action has been taken today by the police.
“They risk with this sort of behaviour, the agreement being successful, and I don’t think they would want to see all those trees that’ve been reserved, come out of reserve,” she said.
The Wilderness Society’s Vica Bayley is worried today’s protest risks the future of the forest peace deal.
“Upper House members in particular are going to be watching very closely a whole range of factors.
“If they pass that reserve order, the agreement continues to implement it.
“If they reject it, the legislation that they’ve already passed is undone, we go back to square one,” said Bayley.
