Bob Brown Foundation takes court action after Sustainable Timber Tasmania blocks Tarkine marathon

The Bob Brown Foundation is again fighting Sustainable Timber Tasmania, this time after the forester blocked the environment group’s annual Tarkine wilderness marathon.

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THE Bob Brown Foundation is again taking court action against Sustainable Timber Tasmania, this time after the forester refused a permit for the organisation to hold its annual Tarkine wilderness marathon.

The takayna trail marathon, which was scheduled to begin on March 20, has been held over the past two years and attracts local and interstate runners to compete in the wilderness of Tasmania’s North West rainforest.

A directions hearing will be held this Thursday in the Supreme Court of Tasmania.

Bob Brown said Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) had an obligation under government legislation to allow access to timber production zones.

Participant competes during a past takayna Trail marathon event.

“We are fighting for the rights of all Tasmanians to access and enjoy their public lands. We will not have that right taken from us just because Sustainable Timber Tasmania doesn’t like our campaigns to protect the environment,” he said.

“If we don’t stand up for this right, Sustainable Timber Tasmania will be emboldened to lock out anyone they don’t agree with from the public lands they are tasked with managing.”

STT replied that said the marathon was aimed at raising money to support activities hindering the management of permanent timber production zone land, and “therefore is not supported by Sustainable Timber Tasmania”.

“The organiser is conducting and has a history of conducting unsafe and unauthorised activity on Permanent Timber Production Zone land,” an STT spokesperson said.

“The organisers of this trail running event have been advised that Sustainable Timber Tasmania does not provide land manager’s consent for their event to occur on Permanent Timber Production Zone land.”

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