save the Blue Tier
press release, 7 march, 2004
Ten Now Arrested On Tier As More Trucks Roll In
Well Known Local Doctor Arrested On Anchor Road
Friends of the Blue Today applauded Dr. Ebi Haas, the tenth Tasmanian to be arrested on the historic Anchor Road as rumours circulated that three more contractors are being brought in to speed up the clearfelling of the water catchment in the face of tremendous community reaction to the destruction of the Blue Tier.
Dr. Ebi Haas has strong connections with the area having been the local GP for fifteen years at the St Helens Medical centre and a very popular locum and a stalwart of the community. He is a father of four, who today was arrested in protest at the continuing destruction of the precious St Helens Water catchment and said that he was standing up for a healfthy future for his children and all children in the community.
'Water is the most precious resource on earth and we have no idea what we are destroying here,' Dr Haas said.
'I am very concerned about the negative health effects of clear felling not to mention pollution of air, contamination of water catchments, the poisoning of native animals and the list goes on.'
'The health of the St Helen community depends on what happens in their catchment and there are a lot of people questioning what is going on in the hills around St Helens as it all eventually flows down to the town.'
'I do not take breaking the law lightly but I feel there is a precedent here and that is the fact that the Break O'Day council has voted unanimously against this action and I am here to support them and the rest of the community in that stand.'
Spokesperson Lesley Nicklason said that sympathetic sources in the logging industry had leaked information that three more contractors were on their way to the Blue Tier to 'get the job over and done with.'
'This situation is embarrassing for Forestry Tasmania and the government because they are breaching the Forest Practices Code each time they drive down the Lottah Road as its too narrow, and they risk killing or injuring tourists each time log trucks thunder out of the Blue Tier,' Ms Nicklason said.
'This is the last coupe that they’ll take as we believe the community is gathering in greater and greater numbers to prevent this happening here again.'
For further information contact Lesley Nicklason 6373 6195 or 0400 557 418