Politics

It is over 35 years since the first forest direct action protests at Terania Creek in northern NSW took place. Over the ensuring years, harvesting in native forests has become increasingly controversial as activist “charities” with multimillion budgets have launched campaign after campaign advocating a complete closure of the native forest harvesting and processing industries.

Many voters with a knowledge informed by activist campaigns and mass media thriving on anything that is controversial, are targeted by politicians trying to out green their political rivals. Over three decades, some political candidates have seen the trade-off of forestry jobs in remote rural communities as a recipe for harvesting green leaning voters in inner city electorates.

In addition to this more overt political influence, a number of anti forestry activists have worked their way into political offices, including the “mainstream” political parties.  While a senior executive of a cigarette company might be frowned upon as a political advisor, it seems senior “environmental” activists are welcome in some political offices.

This website will attempt to cut through the political spin of announcements relating to the harvesting of native forests and check out the real politics and consequences of these announcements.