Andrea Dawkins MP | Greens Member for Bass
The parade of heavy machinery through Scottsdale yesterday with police escort enforces the over the top tactics entrenched in Tasmania’s forestry practises and shows just how far Forestry Tasmania is from understanding the FSC process.
The community has been explicit they would not be staging direct protest action and a police escort was completely unnecessary.
The North East community has again been divided over its approach to logging by Forestry Tasmania forging ahead with the scheduled clear felling of the coupe adjacent to the Blue Derby Mountain Bike Trails.
The divide and conquer mentality of this Government has sadly cast a dark shadow over the successful rejuvenation of the Derby community.
The Greens have received very little information upon request from relevant departments on the logging of Mutual Valley, and the timing of information released has been deliberately managed to provide a block to those who have the interests of the forest, the mountain bike riders and the community at heart.
Numerous messages supporting the Blue Derby Trails have flooded in, with one rider stating:
‘I loved riding Krushka’s trail. I was blown away by the beauty of the forest, the well-designed trails, the tree ferns, the immense size of some of the trees on the top of the ridge. Be in no doubt that I am personally saddened by the thought that as of this moment, trees may be being clear-felled only 35m away.
I am also angry, because I believe it is short-sighted and jeopardises the tourism potential of the BlueDerby experience.
Be in no doubt, this mountain-biker loves and appreciates the forests of this state, and I have no desire to ride my bike next to a clear-felled coupe, or through a P. radiata or E. globulus mono-culture. The BlueDerby trails are unique, and the forests that surround them are what make them that way.’
The Hodgman Liberal government has revealed they are out of touch with community perspective by continuing to resource the unsustainable forestry industry, rather than transition to the new economy.
There are other mountain bike trails being planned in Tasmania and what we don’t want to see is Forestry Tasmania continuing to threaten the rejuvenation of our regional towns and communities.