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Walk Against Warming: a Report from Robert Hart at the Florentine in Tasmania

Saturday the 12th of December 2009 was the National Walk against warming day in Australia and many other countries. Our intrepid reporter, Byron Greens member, Robert Hart is on holidays in Tasmania and went to the Tasmanian walk which was held in the Florentine Forest deep in Tasmania's south West Temperate rainforest.

About 1500 to 2000 people braved the long trip (2hours by car) along the Lake Pedder road to the site of the walk. The weather was cold, with scatty showers and freezing gusts of wind. Despite the weather the event was remarkable. Forestry Tasmania had given permission for the event to take place there, even though it has been an exclusion zone for months.

The location was at the blockade at the logging site,near the historic Tims track, a favourite walking track. There was a car embedded in the forestry roadway and further on a huge tree maybe 1200mm thick was blocking the road.
A ramp had been built over it to allow access. We walked in past information stalls and the camp kitchen, which reminded me of the old Terania Creek days. Camp fires with huge pots of soups and other goodies for sale by donation to the visitors. Further on the scale of the forest destruction was visible as we walked past huge piles of smashed vegetation ready to be burned in a huge firestorm. We reached the rally area after a 500m walk. There was a huge stack of speakers and PA system, all of which had to be moved in by hand.

There were people of all ages, and especially young people from school age up. In Tasmania the young have really taken on this challenge to our forest heritage.

The event started off with local musicians and an address by the local aboriginal representatives. Peter Cundall gave a stirring speech. He started by saying " You Know it is really weird be here today --- legally (laughter) On any other day  the only pepole who can legally enter this place are those who want to destroy it." Peter went on to speak of the corruption in Tasmania's Government, he said he and 55 others were arrested at Parliament house for standing there with placards demanding a royal commission into corruption and the forestry industry in Tasmania. He said that the speaker of the house demanded they be removed. Peter said as far as he knows this is the only example in the Westminster system of democracy in the world where an mp has had his constituents arrested just because he doesn't like what they are saying.

Peter also said that people say to him "Aren't you afraid of being sued?" Pete said "I would love to stand up in court and tell the truth" to a roar of applause from the large crowd. 

The march started up the rocky road after some more speeches and wonderful music by local musicians.
TV and media reporters were there and I manage to speak to some of the speakers and organisers.

Revealed: French Video Footage of Forestry Burning

It was revealed on the 7-30 report on ABC TV on Tuesday 15th December, the scale of Forestry Tasmania's burning of the logged forests .Video footage taken from a helicopter showed a massive burnoff with a Forestry helicopter dropping a napalm like substance all over the piles of  smashed forest. It is estimated that this operation releases 60 percent of the forest's stored carbon directly into the atmosphere.

Organisers Comments

I spoke with Doug O'Neill I asked him why the event was being held in the Florentine rather than in Hobart . Doug said it was a hard decision, if the event had been held in Hobart, many more would have attended but by having it in the forest people could see what was really at stake and see for themselves the incredible beauty of this rare piece of temperate rainforest, which is a huge carbon sink compared to plantations.
I also asked Doug why Forestry Tasmania had allowed this event to be held at the Florentine. He said that they have temporarily finished logging; things are not to good with the forestry industry at the moment,  caused mainly by the economic downturn.