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WORLDWIDE BIODIVERSITY/FOREST CAMPAIGN NEWS

Australian Woodchipping Protested

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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

1/30/95

OVERVIEW & SOURCE

Lest we forget as we condemn developing countries unsustainable

forestry practices; the same and worse continues in the the over-

developed world. Following is coverage of a protest against

Australian woodchipping carried out in New York. This was posted

by the Peace and Justice Coalition in econet's en.alerts

conference.

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/* Written 6:08 PM Jan 30, 1995 by peacejustice in en.alerts */

/* ---------- "AUSTRALIAN FOREST DEMO IN NY CITY" ---------- */

From: Peace and Justice Coalition <peacejustice>

NATIVE FOREST NETWORK MEDIA RELEASE 30 JAN

1995

AUSTRALIAN FOREST ACTION AT NEW YORK OZ CONSULATE

New York, NY--Dozens of representatives from a wide range of U.S.

environmental groups demonstrated in front of the Australian

Consulate for two and half hours today in Manhattan to protest the

Keating Government's latest woodchip decision, which will lead to

the woodchipping of 800 high conservation value forests, and the

roading and sawlogging of another 500. At noon, in an action

called for by the international Native Forest Network (NFN), the

protesters unfurled two banners, one of which read, "KEATING, YOU

IDIOT! BAN AUSTRALIAN WOODCHIPPING."

Other activists passed out over a thousand fliers to passers by in

front of the consulate urging them to write Prime Minister Keating

and the Australian ambassador to the U.S. A petition for the

banning of woodchipping in Australia was circulated and netted

over 200 signatures. The petition was presented by NFN

spokesperson, James Hansen, to Australian Consulate

representatives Helen Fischer and Robert Archibald. Consul General

James Humphries was supposedly unavailable for the presentation of

the petition.

Speaking on behalf of the Native Forest Network, James Hansen

said, "The international community will be made aware that

Australia's forest policy is a sham. The Australian Government is

entrenching this unsustainable old- growth dependent industry,

when it could be leading the world in plantation- based

initiatives. Paul Keating has as much commitment to protecting

forests as President Clinton - which is very little. Only

five percent of native forests in Australia are old-growth, and

are of international significance."

Hansen continued, "We will be making it clear to North American-

based insurance companies and banks to withdraw their financial

support from Australian woodchip ventures. US environment groups

are also well aware of the trade relations between companies such

as North Forest Products and Japanese woodchip traders such as

Mitsubishi, and we will be integrating Australian woodchip issues

into our highly effective Boycott Mitsubishi Campaign."

The demonstration was covered by Australian television, radio and

print media.

It was reported that Australian Consulate staffers were nervous as

the New York city demonstration unfolded. Last July, at the

Australian Embassy in Washington, DC, two NFN activists were

arrested for hanging a banner on the embassy. In the July action

the NFN announced it was beginning an international campaign to to

expose Australia's export woodchipping scandal and demand the

government's compliance with its own stated policies to protect

high conservation value forests.

The NFN urges all to write letters of protest to Prime Minister

Paul Keating, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2601 (AUS).

For Further Information Contact:

New York: James Hansen 212-966-5244

Australia: Sean Cadman 003 695395

695150

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____________________________________________________________

Information sent via:

NATIVE FOREST NETWORK

Eastern North American Resource Center

POB 57

Burlington, VT 05402 USA

(802)863-0571

(802)863-2532 Fax

email: peacejustice@igc.apc.org

###RELAYED TEXT ENDS###

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