Thanks for support

By Kath Gannaway
MEMBERS of the Toolangi community who are fighting logging of the Sylvia Creek coupes thanked activists from outside the area who have supported them in their fight.
At a second community meeting held at Toolangi on Thursday night, more than 100 people packed the C. J. Dennis Hall to re-state their commitment for a campaign which has seen activists locking on to equipment and tree-sitting to stop logging on the Gun Barrel coupe.
Toolangi local, former Greens candidate and president of Healesville Environment Watch Inc (HEWI) Steve Meacher, thanked the local community members and visitors who have taken part in the protests.
Mr Meacher said the community, and the environment groups, including My Environment, the Wilderness Society and the Save Mt St Leonard Group had been left no alternative in the face of government forestry policy to take protest action.
“We have been forced into this position with our backs against the wall,” he said. His statement … “We acknowledge the courage and bravery of people who have been there in the front line,” received the first of many outbursts of virtually unanimous applause.
He acknowledge the support also of local community members.
A number of community members spoke passionately about their commitment to effecting change in government policy, and their frustration at what they said was a government that was not listening.
Josette from Badger Creek said the area was identified under the state government’s Biodiversity Climate Change White Paper as a flagship area which needed protection.
Bernie Mace said the best available data from Leadbeater’s Possum expert Professor David Lindenmeyer estimated the population had been reduced from around 2000 to 1000 by the Black Saturday bushfires.
“We have an animal that is endangered and half the population gets wiped out and the rules don’t change,” he said.
“In Gun Barrel there is habitat that could become Leadbeater’s habitat,” he added.
Toolangi resident Lynn Dean said she did not like being branded as part of the Wildlife Society. “I am part of this community. Has this community ever been asked what do we want,” she said.
Ms Dean said she had friends in the industry but could no longer stand by and see the forest being hauled away in trucks.
“We have had fire, and we now need to look to the future,” she said.