Wayne Booth from Karanja Timbers says his son was near a log when the saw hit a deliberately-concealed bolt, one of six found in logs using metal detectors, and police and Work Place Safety are now investigating.
Tasmanian Police are investigating fresh allegations of “deadly” tree spiking in Tasmanian forests, as protests in logging areas starts up again.
Key points:
- Tasmania Police and Workplace Standards Tasmania are investigating how logs taken to two sawmills had bolts inside them
- Environmentalist groups have denied any involvement
- Ten people today returned to protest against cable-logging near Mount Field National Park in the state’s south
Tree spiking involves nails, bolts or other metal spikes or objects being hammered or drilled into trees to disrupt logging and milling.
Two sawmills in Tasmania’s south have reported finding bolts in logs delivered to them by Sustainable Timber Tasmania from the Wentworth Hills area this week, and Tasmania Police and Workplace Standards are now both investigating.
Wayne Booth from Karanja Timbers in the Derwent Valley said he received the logs on Tuesday and discovered the bolts.
“I put one of the logs through the mill, and on the first cut, I hit a spike,” Mr Booth said.
“When we investigated further, it was a deliberately-placed spike.
“The hole had been drilled in the log, the spike had been put in the log, and then it had been siliconed over.”
Production stopped at the sawmill, and staff found a further five bolts in logs using metal detectors.
The other sawmill that received spiked logs was Mckay Timbers at Bridgewater.
Mr Booth said the incident could have been deadly.
“That person standing in front of that saw yesterday was my son he might not have come home and that makes you sick to the core,” Mr Booth said.
“The saw can’t cut steel, so the saw either shatters, teeth fly off the saw, or the bolt spike itself will get thrown out.
“That travels at about 5000 feet a minute, and if someone’s standing in front of that it becomes a bullet.”
Mr Booth wants those responsible held to account.
“This is a whole new low, the Government has to come out now, they have to stop it and the judiciary has to do something, no more smack on the wrists,” Mr Booth said.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins cautioned against finger pointing, while also condemning the incident.
“Let us do our job and let us look into it and we’ll see what flows from there,” Mr Higgins said.
“It’s a shocking act. It’s extremely dangerous for the sawmillers and can be very dangerous to those putting the logs through.”
Environmentalists condemn spiking
The Bob Brown Foundation and the Greens have both condemned any spiking, and denied having any involvement with the Karanja timber reports.
Jenny Weber, from the Bob Brown Foundation, said a police inquiry needed to look into all possibilities.
“We completely deny any involvement or knowledge of this incident,” Ms Weber said.
“We are calling for a police inquiry, we believe that it’s also important to understand that the logging contractors, all their employees and anyone associated with the companies also need to be investigated.”
A ruler is held up to a mark in a log showing where a spike was discovered.(Facebook: Karanja Timbers)
Ms Weber said protest action by the Bob Brown Foundation was always peaceful.
“Our non-violent direct actions are always out in front, proudly standing up saying ‘here we are, this is what we’re doing to defend forests’.”
Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O’Conner said she was suspicious the incident was an attempt to blame those who stood against forest destruction.
“The last time tree spiking was alleged, in 2012, it was found to be the work of a disgruntled industry worker,” Ms O’Connor said.
“Every time tree spiking has come up in Tasmania, it has been from those opposing forest protesters.”
Shadow Minister for Resources Shane Broad said the incident was an “alarming reminder of the worst of Tasmania’s forest wars”.
“We cannot return to those days,” Mr Broad said.
“With police investigations at an early stage, it is disappointing to see the Greens leader pre-empting those inquiries and suggesting the industry itself is to blame for this incident.
“This is not the time to be making baseless accusations, and the police investigation must be allowed to run its course.”
In a statement, Tasmania’s Resources Minister Guy Barnett said peaceful, respectful protesting was a fundamental right for Tasmanians, “but trespassing and acting in a way that could result in injury is never acceptable”.
“This is why the Tasmanian Government’s Workplace Protection laws are needed more than ever to protect lawful businesses and to protect law-abiding workers, many in regional communities,” he said.
‘Regenerate the forest wars’
Protestors had stayed out of Tasmanian forests since coronavirus hit the state.
But 10 Bob Brown Foundation members returned to forests near the Mount Field National Park in the state’s south on Wednesday in an attempt to halt cable-logging in the area.
A protester tied to logging equipment in Mt Field region.(Supplied)
Two protestors attached themselves to machinery.
“Our campaign will continue with frontline actions that are always non-violent and peaceful, and absolutely we are happy to take responsibility for those sorts of actions,” Ms Weber said.
Terry Edwards, from Forest Industries Association of Tasmania, said the protest action was disappointing and unnecessary.
“There is no need for protesting against Tasmania’s sustainable forest industry, which is among the most sustainable in the world,” he said
“To us, this appears to be an attempt by environmental groups to regenerate the forest wars.
“I think this is tied to the expiry of the moratorium on the future potential production forest land, which expired on the 8th of April.”
In 2012, then-premier Lara Giddings apologised for falsely accusing environmentalists of using tree spiking.
It’s understood no one in Tasmania has ever been convicted of tree spiking.