in to investigate reports of tree spiking
activity must be condemned by Greens, activist organisations
must be free to carry out lawful work
The discovery of spikes in logs at two Tasmanian mills is a
concerning development that must be condemned by environmental activists and
the Greens.
Shadow Minister for Resources Shane Broad said while police investigations
must not be pre-empted, there is no place for such dangerous tactics in Tasmania.
“News that police have been called in to investigate the
discovery of spikes in logs at mills in the Derwent Valley and Bridgewater is
an alarming reminder of the worst of Tasmania’s forest wars,” Dr Broad said.
“We cannot return to those days.
“The spikes discovered at these two mills not only destroyed
the saws and impacted production, but they could have resulted in a worker
being injured or even killed. It’s just extremely fortunate that no-one was
hurt.
“With police investigations at an early stage, it is disappointing
to see the Greens Leader pre-empting those enquiries and suggesting the
industry itself is to blame for this incident.
“This is not the time to be making baseless accusations- and
the police investigation must be allowed to run its course.
“Cassy O’Connor and other environmental activists should be condemning
this behaviour rather than trying to pre-empt the findings of a police
investigation.
“While some have spoken out against this incident, it is the
responsibility of all environmental organisations to make it clear that this dangerous
practice is unacceptable, unlawful and will not be tolerated.
“While there is always a place for political dissent, there
is never a place for putting lives at risk, and forest industry workers must be
free to go about their lawful work safely.
“Labor strongly supports a viable, sustainable and ongoing
native forest industry in Tasmania. The industry currently enjoys broad
community and market acceptance and we want that to continue.
“The forestry sector is an important part of the state’s
economy. Labor has worked constructively with industry and offered bipartisanship
to the government on the development of forest policy.
“We will continue to work with industry to support its growth and Tasmania’s forestry workers.”
Shane Broad MP
Shadow Minister for Resources
