Bob Brown takes forest fight to High Court
The former Greens leader says he refused to arrange a wake after this week’s Federal Court blow, holding a ‘a celebratory launch’ of a High Court appeal instead.
Bob Brown will take his fight to halt native forest logging to the High Court.
The former Greens leader’s foundation announced it would appeal Wednesday’s full bench Federal Court ruling that dismissed a legal challenge to Tasmania’s forestry operations.
“The forest industry called for a wake yesterday after the Federal Court decision and instead the Bob Brown Foundation held a celebratory launch of the next stage of its campaign including its move towards a High Court appeal,” Dr Brown said on Thursday.
The foundation’s Jenny Weber said its lawyers had been instructed to prepare a special leave application to the High Court.
“Our foundation’s campaign to protect Australia’s native forests has gathered momentum since launching the great forest case, and we are going to keep building in this federal election year,” Ms Weber said.
“For the forest wildlife, including the critically endangered swift parrot, endangered species like the koala, masked owl, and wedge-tailed eagle, for the critical carbon storehouses and the vast forest heritage that Australia has, our foundation is dedicated to seeing the end to native forest destruction.”
On Wednesday, three Federal Court judges threw out a case by Dr Brown’s foundation arguing the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement was invalid because it failed to enforce protections for threatened species
The Tasmanian Forest Products Association welcomed the judgment as a win for the industry nationally, which had feared a Brown win could ultimately unravel RFAs across the country.
The federal government hailed the outcome as a vindication of the RFA system, under which forestry operations avoid having to seek approval under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
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