Logging stopped

By Kath Gannaway
A SUPREME Court injunction has stopped logging at the Gun Barrel coupe in Sylvia Creek Road, Toolangi.
A preliminary injunction issued on Thursday by Justice Osborn was extended on Friday, banning harvesting in the coupe until 19 September.
Conservation groups and Toolangi residents who have waged a six-week protest against the logging have welcomed the news, which they say will provide an opportunity to test their case.
One of the groups, My Environment, lodged a writ claiming three coupes in the Sylvia Creek area contain Leadbeater’s Possum habitat and should be protected.
VicForests, named as the defendant, have said they will fight the case.
“VicForests intends to vigorously defend the proceedings in court at the appropriate time and will continue to survey for threatened species in the area,” media manager David Walsh said on Monday.
Mr Walsh said VicForests and the Department of Sustainability and Environment had assessed the area in question prior to the commencement of the court proceedings and determined it did not meet accepted criteria for Leadbeater’s Possum habitat.
Toolangi resident Steve Meacher, who has spearheaded the Toolangi community campaign against the logging, and is one of 14 people arrested over the past six weeks, said he was in the forest when the news of the injunction came through.
He said the injunction gave people hope that the Toolangi Forest would be spared from any future logging.
“Finally we have a court now saying there is a case to be answered by allowing this injunction,” he said.
“Everybody I have spoken with is thrilled with this development and happy about where we stand at the moment.”
Sara Rees from MyEnvironment said the injunction was a significant first step, but just the first step.
“We are hoping for some reform out of this,” she said.
“The judge has read into this that there is some risk here and our concerns should be further evaluated either way, whether we are right or wrong,” she said.
The injunction allows for further surveys to be carried out to support either case.