OUTRAGED protestors forced work to stop this morning on the Strzelecki Highway, Mirboo North, in order to try and save vitally important native forest, before it is too late.
Police officers from Leongatha attended the scene at 12 midday today to negotiate with the protestors.
Contractors began logging along the roadside this morning, initiating the start of what is reportedly set to be a 1.6 kilometre metre stretch of forest removal along the highway between Mirboo North and Morwell.
The logging includes both sides of the highway, equating to about 3.3 kilometres of forest being removed several metres in from the road, to make way for an additional overtaking lane.
The removal of native forest includes up to 84 trees with hollows that take between 100 and 150 years to develop and provide important shelter for wildlife.
“The community wants to know what’s going on and what is happening. There has been no community consultation,” Irene Proebsting, a Field Naturalist from Tyres told the police officer.
"This is absolutely traumatic for the people who have already gone through this."
“We’d like to see work stop until the community has had a meeting with the Departments. We have not seen ecological or environmental reports about what’s happening. There has been nothing in writing.”
While protestor and member of Preserve Our Forests Mirboo North, Graeme Wilson, held up a red painted ‘SOS’ sign. “Save Our Strzelecki,” he declared.
More to come.
