Logging stopped

Stephen Cauchi, The Age (article), 19/4/2001

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The Victorian Government was forced to halt logging in the Otway Ranges yesterday "in the interests of public safety", sparking calls from the timber industry and unions for harsher penalties against protesters.  But logging is scheduled to resume today, renewing the battle between protesters and police and departmental officers.

As the standoff at Ciancio Creek entered its 13th day, Environment Minister Sherryl Garbutt said a 24-hour moratorium was imposed to cool the situation. About 40 protesters have wired trees in the forest with hundreds of metres of heavy cable to thwart logging and further arrests.

Ten of the group have taken up positions in trees, with their platforms joined to other trees by an intricate pattern of cables. "They have wired the forest. They have put cables through the trees to stop them being felled. The cables  are  attached  to  tree-sit platforms,"  said  Otway Ranges Environment Network spokesman Simon Birrell.

The protesters were also using large pieces of steel to lock themselves to the trees.

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