More than 150 community members, from horse riders to BMX riders and young to old, turned out on Penguin Main Street under the Big Penguin to oppose logging in the Dial Range, while the government maintains the controversial industry can co\u00e2\u0080\u0091exist with recreation. <\/p>\n
Sixteen\u2011year\u2011old Penguin resident Rose Welsh said it was important to protect local forests, where she spends time hiking with her mother. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important because we don\u2019t want to see all the forests go bare,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need it for our mountain bikers and our hikers, and it helps climate change with releasing oxygen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rose was among the 150 people gathered at Penguin to protest planned logging in coupes in the Dial Range.<\/p>\n
Protect Our North West Forests convener Ashley Bulgarelli told the crowd they were sending an \u201cincredible message to our decision\u2011makers\u201d. \u201cThat is that we care about the Dial Range and we are the majority, not the minority.\u201d He said the group was backed by council, by economists and by the majority of the community who thinks the forests are \u201cworth more standing\u201d. \u201cBut sadly our major parties have their heads in the sand. They would rather send that forest that we can see to Asia as woodchips,\u201d Mr Bulgarelli said. \u201cWe represent such a broad spectrum of the community. We are parents, we are retirees, we are small business owners, we are walkers, mountain bike riders, local business operators. We are not the minority.\u201d<\/p>\n
Independent Member for Braddon Craig Garland said logging these coupes would only leave costs and impacts, not benefits to the community. He called on Premier Jeremy Rockliff to acknowledge that the community doesn\u2019t want the area logged, and to \u201cnot go there\u201d.<\/p>\n
In response, Minister for Business, Industry and Resources Felix Ellis said forestry, mining and public recreation have successfully co\u2011existed in the Dial Range area since the mid\u20111800s. He said only five per cent of the Dial was available for logging as per the 2012 forest agreement. Mr Ellis said the sector is worth around $1.2 billion per year, and \u201cour best\u2011practice approach to forestry management is the envy of many other jurisdictions around the world\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr Bulgarelli said even though the first road had been laid in the new coupe there was still time to turn the plans around. <\/p>\n