Colette Harmsen will now undergo an assessment for home detention and will reappear in Hobart Magistrates Court on July 14. Ms Harmsen is a long-time defender of Tasmania’s native forests, endangered wildlife and Australia’s largest temperate rainforests in takayna.
“I acknowledge that in the eyes of the Tasmanian justice system, I am guilty of numerous offences. I am upholding the laws of nature and, one day soon, nature in Tasmania will have rights, as has been the case in Ecuador since 2008,” Colette Harmsen said.
“It is criminal that in this global climate and biodiversity crises, it is still illegal to protect what environment we have left. Meanwhile, industries like Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s native forest logging, and mining companies MMG and Venture Minerals’ new mining activity in takayna / Tarkine go ahead with support from federal and state governments and against the laws of nature,” Colette Harmsen said.
Meanwhile in Tasmania’s southern forests, forest defender Lenny continues to be defending Swift Parrot habitat that has been logged. Lenny has been on a portaledge platform on a destructive cable logging machine since Monday evening.