Brigalow blockade receives peak group support

Tuesday, 03 February 2004 10:00

 The groups, including Greenpeace, Total Environment Centre, Australian Conservation Foundation, The Wilderness Society, National Parks Association of NSW and Nature Conservation Council of NSW said, 'the future protection of the region was critical and was now a high priority for the environment movement. The breaking of the moratorium, has galvanised the western woodlands campaign, and it looks like we will return to the bad old days of ongoing confrontation'.

"There has been a clear breach of the moratorium, resulting in grave threats to natural and aboriginal cultural values. Only a few weeks ago, The Wilderness Society and Total Environment Centre were informed by the office of Natural Resources Minister, Craig Knowles that the moratorium would be respected. Serious cracks are appearing in the government's forest protection reputation," said Jeff Angel, Director of Total Environment Centre.

"The Carr Government has worked hard to gain a credible environmental image - controversy like this and a land use decision that fails to protect the large number of rare and threatened species and cultural areas in comprehensive new national parks, will throw all their hard work into the trash can. The battle for the western woodlands, will now receive a high level of ongoing attention from forest activists," said Francesca Andreoni, NSW Campaign Manager of The Wilderness Society.

"While much of the environment movement's focus has been on the east coast in past years, the movement's resources are now firmly devoted to the beleaguered western woodlands. The Brigalow South region, in particular has only 2.6% of the remaining vegetation in national parks and is a nationally recognised biodiversity hot spot," said Andrew Cox, Executive Officer of the National Parks Association of NSW.

National and state peak groups and the Western Conservation Alliance will maintain a high degree of cooperation in the campaign.