Thursday, 11 May 2006
Forest hero’s arrest highlights Lennon-Howard failure
The use of a highly-trained special squad of police, dropped from a helicopter, to arrest forest hero Peter Firth in the
Styx Valley of the Giants this morning highlights the failure of Tasmanian Premier Lennon and Prime Minister Howard to
protect Australia’s old-growth forest heritage, Greens leader Bob Brown said today.
“Amongst the tallest hardwood trees in the world, this bizarre police operation, fostering woodchip corporation Gunns
Ltd’s bottom line, was preceded by a ban on media,” said Senator Brown.
“Peter has been 55 metres high in the tree for 51 days. One day a Tasmanian wedgetail eagle, listed by Canberra as a
nationally endangered species, landed in his tree. Today he was extracted so that the tree can be destroyed so the eagle
can go closer to extinction.”
“Peter Firth has shown great patriotism as the political leaders tear down this national heirloom forest. The Prime
Minister’s promise to protect 18,700 hectares of old-growth forest in the Florentine and Styx valleys has been
shattered.” Senator Brown said.
ENDS