Conservationists and the timber industry are blaming each other after a bulldozer and excavator owned by a logging contractor were severely damaged last week.
The executive director of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries, Mr Norman Huon, said the attack on the logging equipment had caused up to $200,000 damage. While the association did not accuse environmental lobby groups of committing sabotage Mr Huon criticised their emotive arguments against logging "Their reaction to the Regional Forest Agreement process ...could be a catalyst for ill-informed zealots to take direct action. Industry therefore calls on leading environmental lobby groups to approach the debate with more objectivity and honesty", he said.
A Bairnsdale CIB officer said that the equipment had been stored near the remote east Gippsland town of Bendoc when vandals had attacked it, using oxy-acetylene equipment to cut off parts of the machines on Thursday night or Friday
A Wilderness Society spokeswoman, Ms Jill Redwood, said no conservationists had ever been charged for attacks an logging industry equipment. "The alleged vandalism of logging machinery in East Gippsland is most likely just the latest episode in a series of logging industry dirty tricks to smear conservationists in the lead-up to the announce ment of a major forest decision," Ms Redwood said.
The Regional Forest Agreement, determining the use of east Gippsland forests for the next 20 years, is expected to be signed by State and Federal Governments within the next month.