Update Friday 10 May 2002
Four Goolengook Coupes Burnt

Yesterday, all four Goolengook logging coupes were burnt by the NRE as part of their so-called "regeneration" regime. About 10 NRE vehicles, accompanied by one police and one Force Response Unit vehicle, attended the scene and the four coupes were burnt by hand (not helicopter). A warning was given before burning began. It is presumable due to the presence of police and FRU that they expected opposition. Conservationists were in the vicinity and witnessed the burn.

What makes this burn so unusual is the fact that it has occured so soon after logging. Normally at least six months, often longer, passes between burning and logging of a coupe to allow the timber left on the ground to dry out. Not suprisingly, the coupes did not burn very well, especially the ones that used to contain wetter forest, and it is possible that they may need to do them again at a later date.

For those unaware of the bizarre forest management regime of the NRE, burning of coupes is undertaken to ensure "regeneration" after logging by creating an "ash bed" where seeds can germinate and grow. However, most seeds which are supposed to have been left to drop from the remaining seed trees are incinerated by the high intensity burn, along with any native animal lucky enough to have escaped death during clearfelling (they're the ones clinging to the lonely habitat trees, near the seed trees, surrounded by acres of devastation). Is it any wonder that regeneration consistently fails?

Update Thursday 11 April

All tree-sits and tripods and dragons are now removed and all roads now open - jinkers and machinery are leaving Goolengook. It appears that for the moment the harvesting is finished at four coupes. This does not mean an end to work in Goolengook as there may be additional roading being done for further coupes. We maintain our presence both within and on the perimeter of the exclusion zone to monitor further developments - it appears likely that the exclusion zone will remain in place until at least June.

Wednesday 10 April PM

Logs have to be removed but all felling is done, and not much left in log landings. Low loaders to remove machinery were sent in after road block was removed. No machinery at Little Lorien coupe. We think 90 ha have been logged. Exclusion zone is remaining until June, but it remains to be seen if numpties will be hanging around or not. Further activities are planned, so we still need your support Cheers GECO

Update Wednesday 10 April AM

Yesterday (Tuesday), a car dragon with three lock ons with a treesit attached was blocking Goolengook Rd from 5am. On the other access road, Puggarree Rd, there was a tripod attached to a treesit. No log trucks could get through and empty jinkers were turned away. After a few hours the tripod sitter got down, apparently because they had bulldozed a road around him and were threatening him with crane costs etc. The treesitter remained. The car dragon/treesit stayed all night, as police and NRE could not remove them and couldn't (wouldn't?) get Search and Rescue. Footage went to Canberra. One of us was given a permit by Orbost NRE to do liaison under escort, following negotiation at meetings between GECO and Orbost NRE on Monday. Permits were also issued for Bidwali elders for Wednesday.

Later that night the person up the treesit on Puggarree had to be rescued by us under NRE supervision.

As of Wednesday morning on Gook Rd. The three locked onto the dragon are now off after a long day and night in the cold. The tree-sit is still in place. On Puggaree Rd two new tree-sits have been erected, while inside - two women locked onto NRE car near little lorien. A jinker was sighted waiting at the bridge - maybe left from the day before as none have got through this morning.

On ABC Sale Radio this morning Brian Walters QC gives the lowdown on the non-applicability of forest legislation to exclusion zones. Also Neville Smith's helicopter jaunts for National Party MP's gets a run, demonstrating the "mosaic" of timber harvesting from the air. They claim to have offered the flights to conservationists, but it is news to us.

There is a meeting today with Sheryl Garbutt's advisor, hopefully pushing the Goolengook national park proposal.

Wed 3 April 2002

The Easter weekend was a great success, with 200 people coming to see what is going on in Goolengook. The Sunday picnic saw 120 people enter the exclusion zone on Greens Rd with the NRE failing to arrest anyone, despite three people locking onto their cars. Bidwali elders were there and did not get to go on a tour of the coupes due to much confusion and delay tactics by the NRE.

The following day saw an action on Goolengook Rd at the Princes Hwy with tripod-bipod-treesit structure blocking the road to logging and NRE traffic. Fifty people were there and there were four arrests after the structure remained in place until mid-afternoon and was removed by a crane. The person locked to the NRE car received "theft" charges. Police used petty charging tactics and were fining people for waving and beeping their horns in support, which garnered even more support for the blockade. It was a good experience to move the blockade into the public eye and passing easter traffic were supportive.

The next day a similar blockade was put in place and got even more support from passing traffic. Police continued th eir petty harrassment. We got some good media from it too. We are now looking for statements from anyone who received a ridiculous fine on either of these two days for traffic or other minor offences.

There have been activites in the forest also. Work was stopped in one of the logging coupes by two people standing on the log landing and refusing to move.

Wed 27 March 2002

At 6.15 this morning the NRE called GECO to inform us that the Goolengook exclusion zone had been extended to include all of Puggarree Rd and that we had until 10.00am to move the camp or else our gear might be confiscated. There were seven people at the camp and no vehicles. We spoke with the NRE a number of times to tell them there was little chance of us moving by that time, while we got our vehicles together. As of 4.00pm the camp is being moved to Glen Arte Rd and a gate was being set up by the NRE on the cnr of Puggaree Rd and Bendoc Ridge Rd.

PLEASE CONTACT GECO FOR DIRECTIONS TO NEW CAMP!!

Meanwhile we have lots of fun and games planned for the weekend and following week so come out to enjoy the fun.

There have also been rumours circulating today that a moratorium has been declared on Goolengook logging. This is not true (we should be so lucky!) The story is that the East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement Reference Group passed a motion to put a moratorium of Goolengook logging and as a result two of the logging industry representatives resigned. Logging is continuing.

Also apparently Claire Miller is no longer The Age's environment reporter. We don't know who is yet.

Tuesday 26 March 2002

The NRE harrassment at Goolengook and surrounds continues. NRE officers are going into camps in the middle of the night under the pretext of "inspecting fires", shining torches on sleeping people, invading people's privacy and waking the campers. These camps are legal camps in state forest, not in any exclusion zone or road closed area. Three people from Sydney and England were chased through the bush by NRE when they were walking near the Errinundra National Park and were later woken in the middle of the night by NRE, again with torches, and interrogated about their activities. These people were not even in the Goolengook forest at the time.

A local ex-mill worker who has been involved with speaking out against logging in recent times has been especially targetted for harrassment. He has been harrassed at camp as well as in his local town of Orbost by NRE officers. Last night, while staying at his seriously ill father's house (his car was out the front) a convoy of NRE vehicles drove past with horns blaring, sirens going, torches and spotlights shining into the house and the occupants of the cars yelling abuse. He called the police and was told there was no-one at Orbost police station to assist. He spoke to the Snr Sgt in Orbost today who recommended that he go to the Ombudsman with his complaint.

Most disturbingly, we have been receiving reports from camp of men wearing black with balaclavas over their faces, in the bush and in and around our camp. They have been spotlighted on a number of occasions and always run when confronted. These intimidation tactics appear to be part of a psychological war being undertaken against conservationists. Statements are being collected. Snr Sgt in Orbost claims it is the NRE not police doing this.

On the positive side, we are continuing to stop work with lock ons to machinery and treesits. Work in a coupe was stopped for most of the day yesterday with two lock ons. Felling continued within 150m of a treesit - NRE claims that OH&S regs state "two tree lengths" and these were smaller trees.

We also have some things in the pipe line with local Bidwali elders, who are having a historic family meeting this weekend.

Keep ya posted!

GECO

Saturday 23 March

More arrests as dodgy tactics continue by the NRE. 2 Tree-sitters arrested after they came down from their trees which were a-shaking as dozers are allowed to come close to trees and people are being arrested for attempting to be liaison with Police, all the while NRE make noises about wanting a Protocol or Code of Conduct. More actions continuing round the clock.

There are people in Goolengook forest who have not come out since the bust! They are doing it hard, camping in a different place every night, stashing their gear during the day and running from cops and NRE in desperate attempts to set up and supply treesits. They are becoming superfit action heroes and we can't sing their praises enough. One of the women who was finally arrested yesterday after flying a 50m treesit wants to know "Where is everyone?" She wants it known that its not that hard for people to walk in and people shouldn't be put off by the exclusion zone. It is also a great opportunity to know the forest intimately before it disappears!

Community action in Bairnsdale on Friday saw upwards of 100 concerned citizens, including mums, dads, kids, bee keepers, doctors, environmentalists, tourism operators and sundry others meet outside sitting memeber "Independent" Craig Ingram's office to get him to say something about Goolengook. Not surprisingly he was not in a talkative mood, and according to one eye-witness his arrival and departure "looked ridiculous".

We will be having another community action on Sunday at the Gate on Goolengook Rd, hope to see you there - if not gear up for a big Easter campaign - if we can get the numbers a mass walk-in will be unstoppable and will make the powers that be look ridiculous as they try to arrest mums dads kids and sundry others for tring to assert our rights - to walk unhindered in the bush, in our state forests. Make no mistake - this exclusion zone stuff is just the first step in the whittling away of our rights to protest - if we don't stand up now we will sit in fear for the rest of our lives. Solidarity. GECO

Wednesday 20 March

Two coupes are already well in progress with another due to start any day, and whispers detected of a three month, 8 crew assault that will see SIXTEEN coupes erased off the face of the planet.

A courageous young man has been up a tree sit in one of the current coupes (515/0009)for 4 days, having gone without water for the last 24 hours. Search and rescue REMOVED his life sustaining food and water supplies, and have been using torture tactics to force him down : spotlights at night, and allowing contractors to rev chainsaws and drive dozers around the tree base.

Today, several protesters tried to convey water and food to the man, but were prevented by DNRE staff (aka 'NUMPTIES', the Numb and Empty people). Two people were arrested, handcuffed and taken away merely for attempting to protect life.

The open wallet millitary style / scale operation by the Bracks gov. will cost far more than will ever be made by logging this place.

We are seeking legal advice concerning civil and human rights abuses, as well as the TEZ (temporary exclusion zone) application under Forests Act (Sec. 18) and the Conservation, Forests and Lands Act (Sec. 11.2). The TEZ at Gook seems excessive in anyones terms: tourism and fire access rds blocked for up to 30 km in every direction, with no public access permitted to witness the destruction. Charges have included "trespass on a public road " !! A contradiction if ever i heard one.

IF YoU WANNA MAKE A STAND FOR GOOK, NOW IS THE TIME. THIS IS AN INTERGENERATIONAL TRAGEDY FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS. CREW ARE DESPERATELY NEEED ON THE GROUND.

Tuesday 19 March

Logging was stopped with two people up tree platforms. One person is perched high in the canopy and is preventing logging in the Little Goolengook River area. Police have removed his water and food in an attempt to "starve him out" and the area around the base of the tree has been bulldozed to remove the cover for anyone attempting to replenish his supplies. Floodlights were shone on the treesitter all night last night and police are sounding a siren every ten minutes. The treesitter's companion was removed from the treesit late last night by Police Search and Rescue and arrested.

The other tree-platform was erected on Goolengook road and stopped logging traffic from 6.00am. It was later removed and the tree-sitter was arrested. One person was also charged and threatened with remand when they attempted to liaise with police. There have been forty people charged since logging started a fortnight ago.

Logging is taking place in three old growth coupes in the Goolengook block and logging crews are working simultaneously under a 24 hour police guard.

Monday 18 March

A conservationist remains in jail today having refused to sign draconian bail conditions. Two people remain in the tree-tops eluding repeated efforts to remove them.

The arrival of the Bracks governments zero-tolerance forest policy as demonstrated by the unprecedented deployment of Victoria's Force Response Unit represents a completely disproportionate response to peaceful acts of civil disobedience. The outrageous show of force in Goolengook must be costing the Government a huge amount of money, far in excess of expected royalties. More evidence of massive sudsidies to the logging industry.

Sunday 17 March

St Patricks Day Family Action

Just How Green Are Ye? It's St Patricks Day on Sunday 17th March, and the luck of the Irish will be with us to avoid the shillelaghs of the corporate slaves. We have a right to access and a right to assess the forestry practices of the NRE (no rainforests 'ere).

SO: Come down to Goolengook Forest and show the forces under corporate kontrol that we are mean, green and ready to show it.
Bring the kids, granmas and pas, brothers sisters, bikes, off road skate boards, wheelchairs and sock it to 'em.

Where: Goolengook Rd Goolengook

When: Approx 12 noon - stay in touch in case we make it earlier! We'll update you beforehand.

Why: Because if we don't stop the NRE and make a big enough noise, a unique "Warm temperate-cool temperate overlap rainforest,
only found in Goolengook" will be gone forever and replaced with monocultural eucalypt stands you can see anywhere.

Wear what: GREENGREENGREEN!

How: Provisional directions - East on the Princes Hwy past Orbost, past the Bellbird Hotel on the right. Turn left down Bendoc Ridge
Road off the HWY. Turn right onto Puggaree Road and follow that to the camp.

For more details contact GECO 03 51540156, or email GECO geco@green.net.au.

Goolengook Protester Jailed

Today in East Gippsland 50 conservationists blockaded Goolengook Rd, four were arrested. One person is being held in custody following her arrest for 'Willful Trespass' after she entered into the Goolengook forest exclusion zone in an attempt to 'walk in the forest'. Two others were arrested after locking themselves to vehicles and blocking Goolengook Rd. One person was removed when police used pressure points to force him to unlock himself from the bullbar of a government vehicle.

Police and Natural Resources and Environment officers are continuing to use heavy-handed tactics against protesters and more arrests are expected. Today's arrests bring the total number of protesters charged to 35 since logging started almost two weeks ago.

Saturday 16 March

8pm onwards - ACE MORNING BAR- Sydney Rd Brunswick

$6 or more if ya cashed up - absolutely all money goes directly to halting the immoral destruction of the old growth forest of Goolengook.....

Friday 15 March

Rally at NRE in Melbourne and all night vigil.

The Regional Forest Agreement Bill is passed in Federal Parliament, with Libeal and ALP uniting to get it through. This legislation is passed after four years of debate. This allows forests to be exempt under federal environment laws and guarantees compensation to the industry (but not workers) if government changes the agreements. This is a disaster for all our remaining unprotected old growth forests, including Goolengook.

Thursday 14 March

Last night a tree-sit went up on Goolengook Rd preventing logging traffic from entering the controversial Goolengook Forest. The head copper on the job - 20 hours running, visited and left. Search and Rescue were apparently inside the gates, along with jinker.

Two ground crew, police liason and first aid were arrested and removed to Orbost. Aound midday the person up the tree-sit was removed taken to orbost and fingerprinted. (It was said fingerprinting is now to be the procedure.) By this time the head copper had hit his 30 hrs. Tim Collins (NRE'S main man on site) was looking pretty stressed, everyone's sleep deprived and the rules have changed once more...

anyone been up to the eco-deck?? she's gettin logged anyone seen bee- tree? she's gettin logged. gook river is cop base camp.

They've closed the gates and are swallowing her whole, cops don't seem too pleased to be under nre's instruction.. but the FRU(force response unit) don't sound so friendly. There's been sightings, brief glimpses of dogs and tracks found along little gook and gook rivers- as these are now super highways for the bastards- but dogs and FRU are both keeping pretty low profile away from the cameras I imagine..

We believe they are in 3 coups, 1 pretty much completed, tho it is hard to be definite as they've cut all access.

Wednesday 13 March

NRE CONTINUE TO CHANGE THE RULES OR MAKE THEM UP AS YOUR HERITAGE DISAPPEARS IN EAST GIPPSLAND..

Total Exclusion zone now extended to 25 kilometres. Anne Geary, incident controller at NRE signed the order on Monday which took effect yesterday. The right to enter or remain within the bounds of State Forest in Goolengook has been withdrawn.

Roading crews are swarming all over Goolengook and a second working crew has made it through the gates and into Goolengook. A second coupe is now under threat.

Camp has been moved to Puggaree Rd. Black Wallaby crews abound in the forest, evading NRE and standing up for their rights to protest; and enter; and remain in the forest. Exclusion zones exist around working and proposed coupes and roads are closed to 'non-management' vehicles. NRE officers are blatantly ignoring warnings of cables, tree-sits and protesters in working coupes. Shoddy miscarriages of justice occur routinely, as entrenched 'make it up as you go along' behaviour pervades the majority of non-enforcement trained NRE people. More harrying tactics include the banning of fires on a day that was not a total fire ban. When asked if an NRE officer could inspect the campsite conservationists were told that one could not be spared to do so. There were over 100 Police and NRE in Goolengook on that day.

Police too are being seen in a similar shonky light, also routinely claiming powers they do not have including confiscating belongings illegally. The use of infra-red devices, floodlights and triangulated radio-location by police paramilitary special teams has done nothing to deter conservationists defending our universal heritage of rainforest bio-diversity.

Committed crews are acting day and night and are continuing to deter logging activities. Numbers have dropped temporarily but new crews are arriving daily. More people are needed . Have heard rumours only a strong short offensive is expected by Department and Police honchos to lock the forests up and destroy them. We are showing them they are wrong. Our Dreaming is Strong.

Tuesday 12 March

The exclusion zone has been extended and is now approx. 25km radius around the logging site. People are no longer allowed to walk in.

Camp was forced to move and 3 machines were brought in under Police escort. Two other machines were stopped on Arte Rd.

The NRE and Police have been violent in removing protesters from the exclusion zone and have been confiscating people's gear.

Felling has been occuring in areas where cabled tree-sits have been erected and where black wallabies have been in the area. Currently 5 people are missing.

Monday 11 March

This morning there were 10 people arrested on summons for "obstructing Lawful Logging Operations" for attempting to stop a culvert truck going into goolengook.

There are about 40 people at the Puggaree camp and anywhere between 10 and 20 people inside. There are 100 NRE and police in side the gates at goolengook with a catering van, portable toilets, portable showers, the works. They are using floodlights and infrared tracking at night to catch black wallabies and have been confiscating gear from people who get caught and anyone just wandering down the road. They have removed badges and are knowingly felling trees around black wallabies.

There are two logging coupes in progress at the moment, one of which is a rainforest overlap coupe, the other is old growth mixed species. There are three bulldozers in there, plus two log loaders, countless 4WD's, culvert trucks, tippers etc etc etc. They haven't started hauling out yet but are stockpiling on log landngs at the moment. Rumour has it that another crew is going in tomorrow.

Yesterday about 70 people walked in through the gates with the Aboriginal elders from the Bidawel tribe, who were escorted into the logging coupe by the NRE. Peter Rutherford, head of forestry victoria, was grilled on the site by a number of people. Tim Collins, Enforcement Officer with the NRE assaulted a cameraman while he was filming. Police are investigating.

Four coupes are currently targeted -

• 514-02 old growth, SMZ for Powerful and Sooty, rich bird site. 1600m3 D+ sawlogs, 4000 m3 pulpwood. 28% sawlog
• 514-05 old growth, SMZ as above. same volume estimates
• 515-08 old growth. Steep granite. Part logged. 200 mt buffer on Little Gook River. Next to flora and fauna reserve. 1500m3 sawlog, 3000 m3 of pulpwood.
• 515-09. old growth. Smack bang over the top of overlap rainforest. 2000 m3 sawlog 3000 m3 pulpwood (very high volume / high value forest)

Saturday 9 March

There are two people up treesits, plus two arrests today. There are about 10 people running around in the bush, 10 people in the top camp and HEAPS of people at the bottom camp (details available on camp locations from geco).

Rumours of 20 cop cars and even more NRE. Jinkers can access coupes WITHOUT going down Goolengook Rd ie. there are two access roads good enough to haul out of, not to mention the maze of other roads in there.

There are rumours of locals coming in to support their boys tomorrow or next day. We still have our Goolengook Family Day Action planned for Sunday (tomorrow)

NRE is spending thousands maintianing a huge presence in there, all to stop l'il ol' us!

Friday 8 March

There are two camps set up, about 20 people in there running around. One camp is on Goolengook Rd next to first gate, which is at least 15 kms from where the fort used to be. There is an exclusion zone approx 1.5km radius from fort.

Two people locked on to a bulldozer today and were arrested and taken to Orbost police station. They were charged with "wilful trespass", "hindering authorised officer" and "failure to comply".

Cars have received parking fines for facing the wrong way on Goolengook Rd and for parking off the road (after having been told to get off the road). GECO requested that the NRE mark out parking bays on Goolengook Rd so we know where to park. They will get back to us.

There will be an action on Sunday on Goolengook Rd to draw attention to the lack of access to State Forest. This is in conjunction with continued "black wallaby" style actions which will be continuing.

There are rumours of a CFMEU counter blockade this weekend.

For more info stay tuned to website or call geco

Action today outside NRE, Melbourne at 5pm.

Thursday 7 March

Excavator and dozer have gone in. Logging is imminent. We have two camps, one at the gate on Goolenogk rd another about 5 ks in at B Tree camp. People going to Goolengook should call GECO first to get an update on where to go.

Radio communications are currrently being fine tuned. So these updates will become more detailed.

As of 4.00pm WED 6 March

Roads leading to Goolengook are blocked with gates, an exclusion zone has been set up with no vehicular access. People have walked in today. Roading operations are taking place, coupes are being marked out. Rumours of four crews about to go in, one tomorrow, one saturday - logging to start immediately.

Two people locked on today to a culvert, stopping roading. Cars were impounded yesterday and towed to Orbost , and won't be released until $700 is paid per car for towing costs. Gear is at NRE and is being handed over to cops this arvo. Some gear, including a bike, was burnt by authorities. Some footage of the bust was given to Ch 9 and Ch 7 today.

New camp is being set up in an undisclosed location. Scouting is being done.

We need people - keep your gear streamlined and portable. Also any other offers of help, support, gear, food, money and imaginative direct action most appreciated.

Vigil in melbourne at parliament house attracted 150 people. Action at Midways with lock ons to truck.

Wednesday 6 March 2002 AM

Currently two people are still locked on to a bridge and culvert on Goolengook RD. So far two people have been arrested.

Goolengook has been made a total exclusion zone - with gates erected on all access roads to the forest. The closest gate is a 12 kilometre walk to the main protest site.

The NRE have been making serious allegations against our activists on the radio this morning. We have know idea what they are talking about and strongly suspect they are just trying to cloud the issue.

People are urgently needed to boost numbers. We must send a clear message that the environment movement will not standby while this icon forest area is destroyed.

Please contact GECO if you are coming Ph. 0351 540 156.

Today Australia's longest running forest blockade at Goolengook in East Gippsland is being removed. 40-50 police and around a dozen representatives of the Department of Natural Resources arrived at the camp before dawn in a move by the government to find a scapegoat for the failure of the Regional Forest Agreement and recent release of Sustainable Yield figures. One arrest has been made.

While reductions in sustainable yields are costing logging industry jobs, woodchip volumes are again on the rise.

Continuously blockaded since early 1997, Goolengook is positioned just below the Errinundra National Park, and contains many of the same values that have resulted in the National Park being protected.

In 1998 Goolengook was visited by eminent British Biologist and naturalist Dr David Bellamy, who remarked that if he could save any one area of temperate forest in the world it would be Goolengook.

Senator Bob Brown was arrested at Goolengook in 1997, a year which saw almost 300 arrests as conservationists sought to halt logging. 109 people were later acquitted when Dr Brown proved the logging operation to be illegal and in contravention of the Heritage Rivers Act.

The forests of Goolengook encapsulate everything that is rare and breathtaking about East Gippsland.

Goolengook contains an unrivaled assemblage of flora and fauna that include a multitude of rare threatened and endangered species and plant communities. Logging will destroy these flora species and degrade habitat for animals. Goolengook has nine plant and animals listed as threatened under the Flora & Fauna Guarantee Act 1998 and another nine listed as rare and\or vulnerable.

With only 5% of Australias OLD GROWTH forests remaining the time to protect Goolengook is now.

For comment
Tom Crook 03 51540156
(for the Goongerah Environment Centre)