Bob Brown Foundation wins Supreme Court injunction against logging in swift parrot forest

Bob Brown says the legal fight to end native logging in Tasmania was only just beginning, after winning a temporary Supreme Court injunction against logging in a Swift Parrot habitat.

The critically endangered swift parrot is being pushed to the brink of extinction. Picture: David Adams

Veteran environmental campaigner Bob Brown says the legal battle to end native logging in Tasmania was only just beginning, after his namesake foundation won a temporary Supreme Court injunction to stop logging in a Swift Parrot habitat south of Hobart.

In what he described as a victory for Tasmania’s wildlife, Dr Brown said the injunction application was the first in a series of rolling legal challenges to prevent destruction of sensitive habitats in Tasmania.

“This is both gratifying and a terrible indictment of the state and federal governments,” Dr Brown said outside the court.

“Gratifying in that the court needed to hear the case that the laws of the land prevent logging of the critically endangered swift parrot’s habitat forest, not least its nesting trees; but a terrible indictment of the state and federal governments which, if that case is upheld, are breaking their own laws by allowing the destruction of the birds’ habitat across Tasmania.”

The Bob Brown Foundation will be camping in trees, exploring the high canopies and treetops to protect threatened Swift Parrot breeding forests. Photo: Supplied

Dr Brown said that there were multiple legal challenges “coming down the line”, relating to the impact he said logging was having on a variety of species across the state, including the giant freshwater crayfish, Tasmanian devil, and white goshawk.

“We are aware of course that it was rolling challenges to the law that brought an end to native forest logging in Victoria, and we will not desist,” Dr Brown said.

Sustainable Timbers Tasmania was contacted for comment.

Originally published as Bob Brown Foundation wins Supreme Court injunction against logging in swift parrot forest