Kashmir Miller: Lismore law student ties herself to machinery in illegal Doubleduke State Forest logging protest

A Northern Rivers student has attached herself to Forestry Corporation machinery in a bid to save endangered koalas and other animals.

Doubleduke State Forest. Picture: Supplied

A Lismore law student has attached herself to Forestry machines 25m up in the trees in attempt to prevent the logging of a forest in the north of the state.

Kashmir Miller, 23, has suspended herself on a platform in a tree using a rope strung between the three machines in Doubleduke State Forest as part of an illegal protest.

The forest between Casino and Grafton, 50km south of Lismore, is about 2600 hectares.

“Native forest logging is accelerating the climate crisis,” Ms Miller said.

Kashmir Miller has suspended herself on a platform in the Doubleduke State Forest. Picture: Save Banyabba Koalas

“Every tree cut down is a step further along in the extinction crisis.

“We need to preserve the amazing, unique biodiversity of Doubleduke for our own sake, as well as the wildlife.”

The forest has seen it’s fair share of protests and attempts by locals to stop logging inside it.

In February, NSW Police took the step of closing to forest in response to increased protest activity in the area.

The Save the Banyabba Koala group has backed Miller’s protest alongside Northern Rivers ecologist Anastasia Guise.

Ms Guise said efforts to stop logging in Doubleduke State Forest were urgent because the forest was heavily impacted by the 2019 and 2020 Black Summer bushfires

She said it was a habitat for endangered species including koalas, four species of large forest owls and the yellow-bellied glider.

“The 2019-20 bushfires had a catastrophic impact on threatened species already under enormous pressure from climate change and environmental land use changes on a landscape-scale,” Ms Guise said.

Kashmir Miller. Picture: Save Banyabba Koalas.

“This forest is full of old, hollow-bearing trees which are essential habitat for these species, and one of the key features we know were lost right across the landscape during the fires.

“Extinction is forever. We need to take seriously the protection of species and habitats in the long term, and industrialised logging of native habitat is absolutely counter to that purpose.”

Ms Miller is listed as a member on the Greens NSW website.

“I joined The Greens at 12 years old when I began hearing about climate change and how our politicians were not working to protect young people’s future, and I knew I wanted to change this,” the page read.

The Forestry Corporation is being approached for comment.