19 January 2001
Forest Activist Acquitted Of Intentional Damage Charge
Native Forest Action’s West Coast spokesperson appeared at Westport District Court today relating to a charge of
intentional damage. Mr Russell had spray-painted "Welcome to the Buller - where we’re still logging kiwi habitat!" on an
abandoned railway loading bank in Westport in August last year. At the time, SOE Timberlands West Coast was logging
Orikaka forest which is inhabited by great spotted kiwis. After complimenting Peter Russell on the neatness of his
graffiti, Judge Somerville discharged him without conviction.
"Timberlands had announced they were leaving Orikaka forest to avoid disturbing kiwis during their breeding season," Mr
Russell said. "But they were still logging Mokihinui Forest while kiwis were breeding there. The only intentional damage
was being done by Timberlands to the forests. I felt locals and visitors to our district should know what was really
going on".
"The loading bank seemed fair game for political messages because it had been abandoned for years and pro-logging
graffiti had remained on it for several months," said Mr Russell. "Graffiti is a sign of a healthy democracy and is an
important form of non-violent protest. Provided it’s done tastefully in appropriate places like this I think it’s a
generally appreciated part of New Zealand culture”.
Mr Russell’s main concern was that great spotted kiwis are extremely sensitive while incubating eggs. One scientific
paper* states that "the birds are easily alarmed in the first few weeks of incubation… [and] usually respond to
disturbance by smashing their egg and kicking it out.…" "Incubating kiwis would obviously be disturbed by chainsaws,
falling trees and helicopters," said Mr Russell. "But that’s just one example of the types of impacts even so-called
sustainable logging would have on the forests".
"It’s madness that SOE Timberlands is still logging the habitat of other threatened species in South Westland rimu
forests," said Mr Russell. "Native Forest Action is continuing to call for an immediate end to the logging of publicly
owned native forests on the West Coast. This is long overdue, especially now government has handed over $135m in
compensation to the West Coast".
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* McLennan, JA and McCann, AJ, 1992. Ecology of Great Spotted Kiwi, Apteryx haastii. Department of Conservation
Investigation No. 509, DSIR Land Resources Contract Report No. 91/48, section 5.6.2.