Court action moves closer to victory

Court action moves closer to victory

By David Brazil

Actions against logging in the Chaelundi State Forest continued last week both in the courts and in the forest. With the August 15 granting of a further extension of the injunction against logging by the Land and Environment Court, environmentalists are feeling increasingly confident of reaching "a fair and considered solution to the Chaelundi forest dispute".

After the hearing, north coast environment groups called on the Forest Products Association to publicly retract claims of "hardship and imminent job losses" arising from the injunction. Counsel for the logging companies failed to present any evidence to support claims put forward at previous hearings.

Spokesperson for the North East Forest Alliance John Corkill told Green Left, "Their failure to produce any shred of evidence proves the claims made by the industry have no basis in fact.

"The community have been told something which, when challenged, the industry cannot, or will not attempt to, prove in the court. The fears they have provoked in Dorrigo and elsewhere on the NSW north coast should now be put to rest."

Justice Paul Stein extended the injunction on logging and roading activities in the disputed compartments until the case resumes on August 20.

From GLW issue 24