Supreme Court's decision on injunction re: logging welcomed

7/6/95

Environment Minister Peter Foss today welcomed the Supreme Court's refusal to grant an injunction that would have prevented logging in the Sharpe 6 forest coupe.

Mr Foss said the decision meant the Department of Conservation and Land Management could move immediately to ensure the supply of karri sawlogs to the Pemberton mill.

"Today's ruling puts the lie to this nonsense that the timber industry is all about wood chips," Mr Foss said.

"The local saw mill was about to run out of saw logs and the court has recognised that an injunction would have lost valuable jobs in the southern forest area.

"Importantly, the ruling also recognised the practicalities of the matter.  We have a lot of forest in WA and we can be proud that the original forest department and its successors have protected it from development as agricultural land - while at the same time providing a sustainable local industry."

Mr Foss said the court action, brought by the South West Forest Defence Foundation, was unnecessary and a waste of taxpayers' money.

"Action such as this is not only expensive, it absorbs an enormous amount of time and energy that could be better used on other important issues," he said.

"The 10-year forest management plans adopted in 1994 were subjected to an extremely vigorous public and professional appraisal.  But some groups within the community want to take over the public process and run it themselves just because their views are different.

"In the light of today's ruling, the foundation and its supporters should accept the decision and seriously reconsider their other applications before the court."

Media contact:  Stacey Molloy 321 2222 or 222 9595