Dear Friends of a Dying Lapoinya
Last Wednesday, I entered the 'Business Area' and stopped work for barely 30 minutes before the Sergeant pictured below asked me to 'move on' or risk fine and arrest.
Calling the destruction depressing inadequately expresses the deep sadness I felt as hundred year old trees soaring into the canopy were brought crashing down with a shock that was felt a kilometre away. Slow-growing, hence small but beautiful species such as myrtle that are a carpenter's dream are not considered commercial so will be wood-chipped for Chinese paper mills. I even saw a Tasmanian Devil in the path of the bulldozers skittle out of the forest.
This was a living and breathing forest that, after fire bombing with napalm dropped by helicopters will be converted into a WWI wasteland - and for what? To keep a forest bureaucracy and forest contractors in taxpayer-subsidised employment. How in the 21st century can a developed country such as Australia, which is threatened environmentally from so many aspects, commit such an appalling act? When our local Liberal MP was told that there are nearby residents who would suffer from the smoke during the burning, she stated, 'Well, they can always move away for three days'.
While the Tarkine and other World Heritage areas burn, instead of Forestry Tasmania helping to control the fires, they continue to destroy forests and add 700 tonnes of CO2 per hectare felled.
The logging in Lapoinya can still be stopped if enough people protest on the ground.
Drive 3km along Nelsons Rd (off Lapoinya Rd) and follow the signs to 'Parking' to find out how you can help.
Entering the 'Business Area' as I did does NOT incur a penalty as long as you leave as directed BUT it will stop work while you are there.
Regards
Mike
Michael Jackson, They Don't Really Care About Us