Bob Brown arrested in Snow Hill logging coupe, says swift parrot nesting trees illegally harvested

Veteran conservationist and former politician has revealed the reason he was arrested while protesting native forest logging in Tasmania’s Eastern Tiers. See the footage.

Veteran conservationist Bob Brown has been arrested while protesting native forest logging in Tasmania’s Eastern Tiers, where he says nesting trees of the critically endangered swift parrot are being harvested illegally.

The 77-year-old is set to be charged with trespassing after he refused a direction from police to leave a logging coupe at Snow Hill, west of Bicheno, on Tuesday. Two other protesters were also arrested and charged with wilfully obstructing a police officer and trespassing and will appear in court on December 21.

Speaking in Hobart just hours after his arrest, Dr Brown, who is expected to be charged by way of summons, said the harvesting of native forest was “an outrage against nature” and that he would be fighting any charge laid against him.

Bob Brown at Parliament lawns, Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

“The charge I can’t face is turning my back in this extinction crisis on Tasmania’s magnificent wild creatures,” he said. “I’m not going to go to my grave saying, ‘It was all too hard, it was too uncomfortable’.”

“I will always challenge the charge, which is aimed at overriding the laws of nature, which give us life and everything we’ve got on this planet.”

The former Greens leader said there had been swift parrots flying over his camp and that he saw a dozen in one flock on Monday.

According to Dr Brown, there was no “publicly available” Forest Practices Plan for the area.

“There’s no public record that that forest is being legally logged,” he said.

Bob Brown arrested by Tasmania Police at logging coupe in Eastern Tiers. Picture: Bob Brown Foundation

Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) general manager conservation and land management Suzette Weeding said a partial harvest operation was being undertaken at the SH045A coupe at Snow Hill, which was being carried out legally and in accordance with a “current, certified Forest Practices Plan”.

“In addition to … monitoring surveys and other strategic level management initiatives, STT also verifies potential sightings of swift parrots on its active operations, in collaboration with the Forest Practices Authority,” Ms Weeding said. “This has included swift parrot surveys at this coupe.”

She said no swift parrot sightings had been verified at the coupe “at the time of writing”.

Resources Minister Felix Ellis said the Bob Brown Foundation was “continuing their attack on our sustainable native forestry sector and the hundreds of regional jobs it supports”.

Tasmania Police was contacted for comment.

Originally published as Bob Brown arrested in Snow Hill logging coupe, says swift parrot nesting trees illegally harvested