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Pro-logging action planned
MELBOURNE: Residents of the
timber town of Orbost in eastern
Victoria have threatened to block
the Princes Highway if the Federal
Government stops logging in East
Gippsland's national estate forests.
The president of Orbost shire,
Darryl Fatchen, said yesterday Or
bost residents feared the Govern
ment would stop logging in national
estates to woo the green vote before
the federal election.
Mr Fatchen said the Government
was likely to win more environmen
tal votes by stopping logging and
reversing a state government deci
sion to allow it to proceed, than
ignoring the issue and hoping to win
votes in the National Party-held
seatofOrbost.
He said residents had discussed
action if the Government decided to
stop logging by blocking the Princes
Highway with logging vehicles at
the Snowy River Bridge.
"I'm sure if the logging coupes
were closed down the loggers and
retailers would take drastic action,"
Mr Fatchen said. "I think they
would be prepared to risk the law."
Orbost businesses will close be
tween 10am and 12pm today for a
rally in the main street to talk about
the conservationists' protests and
the possibility that the Government
might stop logging going ahead.
Several thousand people are expect
ed to attend the rally to show their
support for the timber industry.
Representatives of the industry,
the Orbost Council and the East
Gippsland Coalition, which is
spearheading the Victorian conser
vation movement against logging in
national estates, will speak at the
rally.
The East Gippsland . Coalition
promises more action today with
between 50 and 100 protesters ex
pected to attend logging sites.
Police are investigating two gun
shots fired on Saturday night at the
group's camp, at Goongerah on the
Bonang Highway. No-one was
wounded after two shots were fired
at about 11.45pm.
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