Tasmania's Endangered Wedgetail Eagle

Bob Brown fought for the courts to uphold a previous Regional Forestry Agreement (RFA), which mandated logging could not proceed in forests containing endangered species unless such logging could be proven to improve their chances of survival.

"The Court has formed the view that the relevant forestry operations will be, and have been, carried out otherwise than in accordance with the RFA,'' Justice Marshall said in his judgment.

Forestry Tasmania did not have an exemption from provisions of the EPBC Act, Justice Marshall said.

The Wielangta forest is home to endangered species including the swift parrot, wedgetail eagles and the Wielangta stag beetle.

"The Court has found that the forestry operations and proposed forestry operations of Forestry Tasmania in the Wielangta area are likely to have a significant impact on all three species,'' the judge said.

Senator Brown said he was on a high after the court decision that he said was a "long shot''.

"It means that the Government and the Opposition have failed to uphold the law in Tasmania's forests,'' Senator Brown said.

Greg Law from the Wilderness Society welcomed the court's decision.

"The ramifications of this win today not only halts destructive logging in the Wielangta State Forest but it will rewrite Regional Forest Agreements across the country,'' he said. - The Australian

It's nice to get some good news from time to time, although why are we battling the forestry industry over laws that have already been enacted? I had earlier read some not-quite-so-cheery news of other subversive forestry tactics.

 

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