19th June 2009
Yorta Yorta people organised another protest against illegal logging in the Millewa Forest today. Exercising their inherent rights to Country, Yorta Yorta Traditional Owners led a "community walk-in" to the site of the recently ended logging blockade. Logging was halted for several hours while Yorta Yorta people and supporters held a picnic just outside the coupe.
19th June 2009
Yorta Yorta people organised another protest against illegal logging in the Millewa Forest today. Exercising their inherent rights to Country, Yorta Yorta Traditional Owners led a "community walk-in" to the site of the recently ended logging blockade. Logging was halted for several hours while Yorta Yorta people and supporters held a picnic just outside the coupe.
Yorta Yorta chairperson Neville Atkinson made the following statement about the walk-in:
We invited our family and friends to walk in here today and enjoy a barbecue together. This is our traditional country which we have been living on for untold generations -sharing food and yarns together.
The NSW Government has recently attempted to crush a peaceful protest against logging in this area, but we will not accept being locked out of our own Country.
We want to see this area managed to protect our cultural sites and landscapes and to conserve its globally significant ecosystems.
Instead, Millewa is currently being destroyed by logging that degrades the environment and destroys its values.
The logging is illegal. It doesn't have the approvals that it needs to be carried out in accordance with the law.
We are here today to say that the struggle is on-going and the Yorta Yorta people are deeply committed to it.
We will continue to use all avenues available to us to have this area protected as a new jointly managed National Park.
We want the best outcome for the environment and the community - by creating healthy, inspiring jobs for our young people working in National Parks on their own Country.
This week is Indigenous Mens Health Week, and we are here to remind the NSW Government how important meaningful employment on Country is for our young men.
The situation remains unresolved. For information on forest protests, contact the Friends of the Earth office on (03) 9419 8700.