Greens senator joins log protest

Protesters who have interrupted logging in the Challar Forest near Walpole for the past four months were joined by WA Greens Senator Scott Ludlam last Thursday.

Mr Ludlam was winched 40m up a karri tree to a platform conservationists have occupied since December after Minister for Environment Albert Jacob’s approval of the Forest Management Plan 2014-2023.

Mr Ludlam described the experience as “terrifying”, but said he wanted to put forest conservation at the centre of WA’s Senate election because he believed the new plan was “a substantial step backward”.

“I was horrified,” he said. “There is a tree older than the City of Albany that was bowled over and rot was discovered in the middle so they had no use for saw logs and it was chipped. It is an absolute tragedy that is still happening.”

He said his visit did not disrupt logging activities and described the interaction with police and contractors as “respectful”.

But his actions have been slammed by the Australian Forest Products Association and the Forest Industries Federation of WA, which described it as “a transparent attempt to gain election publicity”.

“It is disappointing that Senator Ludlam thinks industry in regional towns like Bunbury, Manjimup, Albany and Pemberton that rely on this carbon-positive industry should be closed down,” FIFWA executive director Melissa Haslam said.

Mr Ludlam hit back at criticism, saying “we are not trying to put towns out of work at all … we are absolutely ready to talk about a viable strategy of how to transition from logging native forests entirely.”

The extraordinary WA Senate election is this Saturday.