Cherry Tree State Forest logging protesters gather in Lismore
Protesters say they are building pressure on the government to stop logging in a state forest after gaining more supporters for their cause.
Lismore
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Protesters have rallied in Lismore against logging in sections of Cherry Tree State Forest.
The Greens Member of the Legislative Council David Shoebridge and Richmond candidate Mandy Nolan joined North East Forest Alliance members at Spinks Park on Saturday.
Ms Nolan said she was backing alliance members who had been protesting in Cherry Tree Forest for the past two weeks.
“Although this is outside my electorate it’s not outside our bigger community care for the environment and really hammering home we don’t want our state forests logged,” Ms Nolan said.
“We need them to be kept and to become sanctuaries and places where koala populations and other animals can have a chance of increasing again.”
Ms Nolan said the government was paying lip service to protecting and increasing koala numbers while allowing and approving the logging of state forests.
“It’s completely at odds with what they’re saying,” Ms Nolan said.
Two of the women at the rally in Lismore were previously arrested while protesting at Cherry Tree.
The area of concern is a “safe haven and habitat” for animals that fled the fires that wiped out koala colonies in 2019.
Malveena Martyn, 69, said the campaign was to raise awareness and demand protection of significant areas within the forest that were not burnt.
She said her arrest on November 15 hadn’t quelled her passion for the environment.
“It’s so important,” she said.
“If nobody does anything many animals will go extinct.”
She said she was forcibly removed from a cement-filled drum in the forest two weeks ago.
Ms Martyn said she and another woman were taken to Casino Police Station, 43km away.
“I bounced around in the paddy-wagon,” she said.
“I hit the roof and landed on my back.”
She said she would continue to be a voice for the environment for as long as it took.
The two women, along with another man have been issued with court appearance dates for early December.
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