Tree hugger on top

By Kath Gannaway
AN ANONYMOUS tree sitter has put a stop to logging at the controversial Gun Barrel coupe on Sylvia Creek Road at Toolangi.
The Mail was told the man set up the platform, perched high up in one of the mountain ash trees on the edge of the coupe, in the early hours of Monday morning.
Ropes from the platform are attached to machinery which was set to swing into action again on Monday.
Police were called when VicForests workers arrived at the coupe just after daylight.
As about 50 people, including many from Toolangi, Castella and other parts of the Yarra Valley, drove onto the site at around 8am, the stage was set for what many of the protestors said they hoped would focus attention on the logging of coupes they say are high-value conservation forest within Leadbeater’s Possum habitat.
Protestors erected signs on the coupe and refused to leave when asked by VicForests senior forester Stuart O’Brian.
The action follows a protest at the site two weeks ago and a meeting at the Toolangi hall on Wednesday night attended by around 80 people, the vast majority local residents.
The meeting was addressed by representatives of local environment groups, the Wilderness Society and Bleyer Lawyers who have represented logging protestors following action on coupes in Gippsland and other parts of the state.
There were calls for a whole of community response and for a moratorium on logging until independent surveys of the forest were carried out.
A call by Save Toolangi Forests Group spokesperson Bernie Mace for a Central Highlands National Park to be established received total support.
Speaking at the coupe on Monday morning Healesville Environment Watch Inc (HEWI) president and Toolangi resident Steve Meacher described the protest as a “community expression of outrage at what’s going on here”.
“An awful lot of these people are from Toolangi, Castella and surrounding areas,” he said.
Mr Meacher said the immediate aim was to prevent further destruction of the forest in the Gun Barrel coupe and the Freddo coupe which was also set to be logged for as long as possible.
“Hopefully, that will be long enough that VicForests and the DSE, who have approved this destruction of the environment, and the political masters who dictate that policy, to get the message,” he said.
The Mail contact VicForests who were unable to say what action was being taken to get their workers back on the job.
VicForests Communications Manager David Walsh said VicForests rejected claims that the coupes were Leadbeater’s habitat and said the coupes had been reassessed by VicForests and DSE staff.
“There are a number of large trees but they don’t meet the criteria for Leadbeater’s habitat,” he said.
He said however that VicForests had agreed to exclude a three-hectare section which he said contained the majority of the largest trees.
“It is not something we have to do, it is being done in an attempt to address concerns some in the community have about the harvesting operations.”
Victoria Police spokeswoman Louise Waldon said there were a number of police officers in attendance at the Toolangi site.
“It’s an ongoing situation and we’re monitoring it at the moment,” she said on Monday afternoon.
Ms Waldon said police officers had spoken to both sides and were looking at keeping the peace.