In a citizen-led protest today, the ‘Tasmanian Environmental Court of Law’ found parliamentarians and loggers guilty of flattening Lutruwita / Tasmania’s native forests.

Thirty-two mock ‘summons’ were sent out to current and former parliamentarians and logging industry figures in the lead-up to the mock court. Those summonsed included Premier Rockliff, logging Minister Eric Abetz, Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, CEO of Forestry Tasmania Steve Whiteley and Ta Ann Tasmania’s General Manager Robert Yong.

Citizens dressed as wildlife, losing forest habitat every day to logging, acted as witnesses, jury and judge in today’s protest. Others dressed as parliamentarians, loggers and logging executives were put on trial for colluding with successive federal and Tasmanian governments to undermine environmental and biodiversity protection systems with continued support for native forest logging.

“With the appalling rate of destruction of native forests in Tasmania, while we are amidst a climate and biodiversity crises, it is high time that culpable politicians and logging corporations are held to account. We urgently need governments to prevent logging of endangered species habitat and provide secure protection of native forests,” said Jenny Weber, Bob Brown Foundation Campaigns Manager.

“I am sick of politicians and logging industry giving their middle finger to the state of the environment. Native forest logging is an obsolete practice that damages ecosystems, increases bushfire risk, causes detrimental climate instability and threatens wildlife. For too long, the judicial system has failed our environment and has put humans and other species’ survival at risk, because it protects the destroyers of nature and punishes the defenders,” said environmental activist Colette Harmsen.