Press release – 1 June, 2014Maules Creek, NSW, Monday 2 June 2014: As tree-climbing activists hinder bulldozing for the fourth day in a row, Greenpeace is calling on the NSW Government to urgently stop forest clearing in the Leard State Forest during the winter hibernating months.“Just this morning, a new group of tree-climbers entered a different part of the endangered forest to set up a sky-high camp,” said Greenpeace spokesperson Julie Macken.
The new forest rescue team continues the stand-off with Whitehaven Coal after five Greenpeace activists were arrested yesterday and removed from a giant rope web.
“This brings the total number of arrests in ongoing community protests against Whitehaven Coal’s mine to over 160,” said Julie Macken.
A rally outside the ministerial offices of Pru Goward and Rob Stokes – Government Macquarie Tower in Sydney – is planned for Wednesday at midday, as community outrage over winter clearing at a time when native animals are hibernating to make way for a coal mine, boils over.
Greenpeace Senior Campaigner Nic Clyde spoke from his tree-sit, 10 metres off the ground in the Leard State Forest:
“Whitehaven Coal’s bulldozers are destroying the homes of animals while they sleep. Their coal mine at Maules Creek – the largest coal mine currently under construction in Australia – has been given permission to break the most basic of mining rules – stop clearing during the winter months – when many threatened species are hibernating.”
“The state government – Environment Minister, Rob Stokes and Planning Minister Pru Goward – must intervene.”
Some of the hibernating species in the Leard State Forest include:
The feathertail glider, sugar glider and squirrel glider (all hibernating most of winter)
Barking Owl (nesting and listed as ‘vulnerable’ under state law) and Barn Owl (nesting)
Corben’s
long
–
eared bat
(‘vulnerable’ under federal and state law), the yellow-bellied sheath-tale bat (‘vulnerable’ under state law) and
white
–
striped free-tailed bat and little pied bat (‘vulnerable’ under state law). All the bats are hibernating for most of winter.
Coral snake and spiny tailed gecko (both hibernating)
For interviews with Greenpeace Senior Campaigner from the forest tree-tops:
Contact, Elsa Evers
0438 204 041
or Julie Macken 0400 925 217
Images and video:
http://www.greenpeacemedia.org
Username: photos    Password: green
Via FTP (you will need an FTP client such as Filezilla):
Host:
greenpeacemedia.org
Username: media
Password: greenpeace
Folder: Maules Creek
Additional images from the Leard Alliance can be found at:
Police Rescue