The recent Everest conqueror Ms Brigitte Muir yesterday climbed a tree in Goolengook, East Gippsland, to condemn logging in the forest. Ms Muir climbed about 30 metres up a huge mountain grey gum in a dawn protest and unfurled a banner that read "let this forest ever rest". After returning to the ground, Ms Muir said she wanted to raise public awareness about destruction of the old-growth forest.
"I've always had a soft spot for trees. When I was up there, it's a magic forest and then you look at the
foreground and it's total devastation and nothing," Ms Muir said. Ms Muir kick-started the third week of protests aimed at preventing the logging of 32 hectares of forest near the Goolengook River. While she was not arrested, a spate of arrests resulting from controversy over the operation of a bulldozer in the area late yesterday meant fresh conflict was likely today.
Police arrested 23 people yesterday, taking the total number of arrests over the issue to 95. The contractor responsible for logging the coop, Mr Wayne Burgess, said it would usually take him eight to 10 weeks to clear a 32- hectare coop, but so far he had only cleared 1.5 hectares. The delays caused by protesters had cost thousands of dollars, Mr Burgess said. 'I've had protests before but they've gone in two or three days. I have been turning up every day except for two days off for three weeks and we still need police assistance. It's a long way to come for nothing he said. The logging coop Is about 90 minutes' drive north-east of Orbost, in a remote area south of the Errinundra National Park.
Ms Muir said she was appalled that an old-growth rainforest recognised
as significant by government scientists was being destroyed. "I am here
putting into action the statement I made from the top of Mount Everest."
"I would like to ask Marie Tehan, our state Minister for Conservation,
to please move the bulldozers out of Goolengook," Ms Muir said. However,
the assistant national secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining
and Energy Union's forests division, Mr Michael O'Connor, said timber workers
would not take the protests lying down. Yesterday, timber workers blockaded
part of the Goolengook Road, blocking the cars of protesters. Mr O'Connor
said the union would seek compensation for Mr Burgess.