Hi there!

It has begun. It's the end of the world as we know it. Expansion and growth have reached the limits, and the resources are running out. Gaia (the earth) is infected, by humans, and is beginning to cleanse her systems. Hang on for the sneeze!

Faced with imminent peril, our response ought to be to unite, to use our knowldge and skills to prepare. To help heal the earth. Using the precious remaining energy and resources to build a truly sustainable world. Imagine a young father today buys his first sportscar. He proudly takes his son for a drive. In 20 years, the son looks out through double-glazed windows at the rusting junk, useless without fuels, and wishes his dad had bought a wind turbine.

I wish old-growth forests, threatened species and rainforest were protected. Here in Victoria, recent logging at Survey Road, Errinundra Plateau, included logging of old-growth forest, habitat of Sooty Owl, Powerful Owl, Barking Owl, Large Brown Tree-frog and Spot-tail Quoll, and Cool Temperate Rainforest. See GECO: Forest Blockades 2008

In the above photo, the dominant tree is Southern Sassfras, Atherosperma moschatum, a characteristic tree of Cool Temperate Rainforest in East Gippsland. The stand of trees seen here meets all raifnorest definitions, but fails to receive protection as it was considered to be a small stand. However, rainforest species continue along this boundary for over 300m, and application of the differential key for indentifying rainforest reveals in fact it was a LARGE stand of rainforest. In any case, ALL rainforest is protected by law in Victoria.

Protesters tried to uphold the law and stop the logging. The loggers tried to run people over with the bulldozer, nudged a tree which a person was over 30m up, and then cut a deep notch in the tree, threatening to fell it.

So far there's unlawful logging; due to breach of the Code of Forest Practice, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and rulings of the Supreme Court. Then there's offences under the Crimes Act, s.20 "threats to kill", s21 "threats to inflict serious injury", s.22 "Conduct endangering life", s.23 "conduct endangering persons," s.321 "conspiracy to commit an offence", etc.

Side note: s.201 Crimes Act provides an example of "lawful excuse", which is what the protesters ought to have in entering a Public ExclusioN Zone to stop illegal logging. If anyone's got the expanded edition; do the case law reference help this argument??

When the Police arrived, they followed the directions of the DSE, who had them drag off the protesters and got their mates straight back to work clearing rainforest.

In correspondance after the event, (24th April 2008) Dr. Stephen Henry, Biodiversity Manager, Gippsland East, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Orbost Office, confirms finding a stand of rainforest that was not protected on the side of the coupe at Survey Rd. However he sees no problem, as logging complied with local prescriptions, that do not protect small stands of rainforest. It's like having a local cop write his mates permits for speeding! Just as speeding kills pedestrians, these rubbish prescriptions are killing rainforests and threatened species.

In other correspondance, (19th April 2008), Peter Watkinson, Executive Director, Public Land, DSE, says action was taken in 2006 to protect 41,000ha of old-growth forest and icon areas in East Gippsland. But it wasn't. In 2007 old-growth forests inside the icon areas were scheduled for logging, with Public Safety Zones dealred to make inspection of them illegal. In 2008 the logging continues. The age of Krudd I tell ya.

There are no penalty provisions specifically written for illegal logging, so prosecution of the loggers or DSE for illegal logging seem unlikely. Prosecution of the protesters for entering a 'public safety exlcusion zone' seems certain. Inunctions to stop the ongoing illegal logging are impossible, as one must have "standing" to be a party to a case, and possibly only the loggers would meet this requirement.

So there you go;

This message brought to you in the spirit of the Klingon Proverb;
"Pity only the warrior
who has defeated
all his enemies."

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