Australia: More on Gunns Ltd. giving up and giving 1/4 million dollars to Wilderness Society
On 30th December 2008 Victorian Premier John Brumby committed to protecting Victoria’s Red Gum forests and wetlands along the Murray and its tributaries in 95,000 hectares of new and expanded national parks. The win means an end to cattle grazing in these forests, a significant reduction in logging, and the historic first for Victoria of Indigenous co-management of national parks. While the internationally recognised Red Gum forests in Victoria have been given the protection they deserve it is ludicrous that across the Murray, Premier Nathan Rees continues to allow New South Wales River Red Gums to be logged for low value products such as fenceposts, railway sleepers and firewood. Here ‘s a quick video update from The Wilderness Society’s Strategic Campaigns Coordinator, Virginia Young, as a thank you from us to you.
Final formatting of post available at http://forestpolicyresearch.com
http://www.youtube.com/v/RAB74uQShPc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1
This is a follow up on yesterdays post here: http://forestpolicyresearch.com/2009/03/16/australia-big-timber-gunns-ltd-fails-in-4-year-attempt-to-sue-enviro-protesters-for-millions/
This is an incredible result, considering the logging giant originally
claimed we owed them $3.5 million in damages! In the settlement, Gunns
will pay The Wilderness Society $350,000 in costs and discontinue its
legal action against The Wilderness Society and individuals either
currently or formally with The Wilderness Society – Alec Marr, Leanne
Minshull and Heidi Douglas?
“This is a significant win for free speech in Australia. The fact that Gunns now has to pay money to The Wilderness Society after claiming for the past four years that The Wilderness Society owed it $3.5 million demonstrates that the legal action was an empty case from the beginning,” former defendant and The Wilderness Society’s Executive Director Alec Marr said.Thank you for
your amazing support during this turbulent time.
Whether you took action online, made a donation, took part in peaceful protests, you made a difference. The Wilderness Society has given no undertakings to Gunns and is free to continue to campaign to protect Tasmania’s forests. We will continue to stand up for the most magnificent forests on Earth, and stop Gunns from trying to force its polluting pulp mill
on the Tasmanian community.
Get full text; support writer, producer of the words:
http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/thanks-to-you-free-speech