Forest protection groups have occupied the roof and storefront of a major Officeworks building in Collingwood this morning. Banners were unfurled over the rooftop billboards, targeting the Reflex Paper brand for its ongoing logging of Victoria’s native forests.
MEDIA RELEASE Thursday 5 August, 2010
Forest protection groups are occupying the roof and storefront of a major Officeworks building in Collingwood. Banners are unfurled over the rooftop billboards, targeting the Reflex Paper brand for its ongoing logging of Victoria’s native forests.
“Today we are delivering a letter signed by Australia’s forest conservation groups requesting that Officeworks cease stocking the Reflex brand,†says spokesperson for the action, Lauren Caulfield. “Today’s action is part of a suite of simultaneous national protest actions calling on the Commonwealth Government to intervene in the forestry crisisâ€
“Australian Paper, manufacturer of Reflex, continues to buy logs from highly controversial native forest logging – including logging of old growth forests, water catchments and threatened species habitat. We call on the manufacturers of Reflex to stop making this paper out of our precious native forests.â€
Logging and woodchipping in native forests costs water. Science shows that older, intact forests means more water flows into streams, whereas logged, young forests are thirsty.
“We are contacting the top 100 retailers of the Reflex brand to notify them that stocking Reflex paper means purchasing logs taken from Melbourne’s forested water catchments, which equals less water for Melburnians to drinkâ€, continues Ms Caulfield.
In the midst of the federal election campaign, conservationists around the nation are calling on both major parties to announce robust policy interventions to resolve the forest crisis once and for all.
“Recent Galaxy polls indicate that 90% of Australians want native forests protected, and will take this concern to the ballot box. Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott must respond to public sentiment, and step in to properly resolve the forest crisis,†says Ms Caulfield.
Today, forest protest actions are occurring in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, ACT and Tasmania in a demonstration of the nation-wide public campaign to protect Australia’s precious forests.
For more information please contact:
Lauren Caulfield (Friends of the Earth) 0408 748 939
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