Shire backs Mowen protest
Shire councillors have agreed to formally oppose logging in the Mowen Forest, which organisers say will soon be followed by a protest camp.
About 25 supporters of the Save Mowen Forest group fronted the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River council meeting on Wednesday night, with spokeswoman Naomi Godden and geologist Peter Lane arguing passionately for the council's support.
Mr Lane delivered a refresher course in his economic critique of the Forest Products Commission's "absurd" accounting practices, first reported by the _Times _in 2009.
Ms Godden said the Shire formally opposing logging in Mowen would reinforce its own sustainability principles. "It's important we need to speak up when activities within our shire go against the local government's position," she said.
Mr Lane focused on suggesting how manipulative accounting practices and State Government "bailouts" were the only way FPC balanced its books, and the geologist predicted a mere $200,000 profit from logging the proposed 1610ha harvest area.
Deputy shire president Lyn Serventy also extolled her colleagues to back the protesters in a similar fashion to the council's 2008 opposition to logging in Chester Forest and its 2010 stance against coal mining in Osmington.
The Chester Forest campaign saw Forest Rescue establish a protest camp where they used non-violent protest to evade Department of Environment and Conservation officers as well as local hoons intent on giving the environmentalists a hard time.
The motion was put forward by councillor Felicity Haynes, asking the Shire to note and support a petition presented yesterday, after Wednesday night's council meeting, to the State Legislative Council, sponsored by Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren.
Although the motion's wording did not call for any formal communication from the Shire, Cr Haynes hoped the facts of Mr Lane's presentation might be noted in correspondence to the Premier.
"The petition is itself about the protection of threatened species," she said.
"Your community wants the trees to be protected."
Cowaramup councillor Ian Earl disclosed his own inner green leanings by reiterating his shock at Mr Lane's deconstruction of the FPC annual report.
"The Government should get hold of these figures Peter's given us and tell us why he's wrong," Cr Earl said. "It appears to be completely unsustainable … We've got to find a better, more sustainable way of doing it."
Ms Godden said a number of at-risk species were implicated in the plans. Mr Lane said FPC's first and second grade jarrah logs had dwindled to 0.2 per cent of the Government-run entity's overall products.
