20.09.09 FT BUNGLE UPPER FLORENTINE EXCLUSION ZONE BOUNDARY, TRESPASS CHARGES TO BE DROPPED!

Still Wild Still Threatened are calling for people who have been convicted of trespass at Camp Florentine to come foward and appeal against your convictions!!

This follows the revelation that Forestry Tasmania bungled the exclusion zone boundary and gave wrong information to the police, resulting in the trespass charge against Derwent Valley grandmother Lynda Blyth being dropped. The police have also communicated that trespass charges against others accused of trespass would also be dropped if they fall into the same category as that of Ms Blyth, who was arrested over 200 metres from the exclusion zone.

Forestry Tasmania literally mixed up one track for another when mapping the exclusion zone. Police and FT have consistently stated that the boundry of the exclusion zone follows timbs walking track, when in fact it follows old timbs track, a very old, ,over grown track. This means that Camp Florentine and even areas of coupe FO44A have never been in an exclusion zone and over 90 people who have been charged with trespass could appeal against their convictions.

The bungle has rasied serious doubts about FT's competence in managing the state's natural assests. How many mapping bungles have caused damage to sites of high conservation value?

“Hundreds of people have stood up to the Government, Forestry Tasmania and the logging industry to defend the ancient forests of the Upper Florentine and they have been wrongly accused of breaking the law,” said Natalie Keene, Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson. “Many have been wrongfully convicted because the police blindly accepted the word of Forestry Tasmania.”

"Those wrongly convicted should have legal and other costs incurred through their arrests and trials reimbursed by Forestry Tasmania," Ms Keene said.

The Upper Florentine exclusion zone has been in place off and on according to the bungled boundaries since April 2006. Since then, there have been a constant community presence and numerous protests resulting in over 90 charges of trespass.

"Forestry Tasmania should apologise to all the members of our community they have wrongly accused of breaking the law," said Ms Keene. "We demand that the Tasmanian Government put in place a more effective watchdog for Forestry Tas, whose incompetence continues to be exposed." Ms Keene said.

"Premier Bartlett has egg on his face because he blindly accepted Forestry Tasmania's claims that people were breaking the law. We hope this development will encourage him to be less gullible - and more clever - in his approach to the forest issue." said Ms Keene.

THE ATTACHED MAP SHOWS THE OLD TIMBS TRACK(EXCLUSION ZONE BOUNDRY), TIMBS WALKING TRACK AND COUPE F044A COUPE BOUNDRY.