Bob Brown Foundation protesters have prevented logging from occurring at three native forestry sites in Tasmania the day after the government announced it would bring in retrospective legislation to validate its laws.
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The protesters were not arrested by police, with two having had their trespass charges dropped earlier this week and four others - including Bob Brown - last week as a result of the issue with Tasmania's forestry laws.
The issue is believed to centre on forest practices officers not having the correct authority to issue forest practices plans to allow logging to go ahead - a situation that has been occurring since 1987. It was picked up on March 31 during trespass criminal proceedings against Dr Brown and other protesters.
Forest Practices Authority chief forest practices officer Peter Volker said it came down to the "interpretation" of the Act and the "wording" of the delegation instrument.
"The matter has no bearing on the conduct of forest operations," he said.
"Forest practices plans have been prepared in accordance with the Forest Practices Code and have been appropriately considered for certification.
"Forest operations are supervised by authorised Forest Practices officers and compliance reporting is a key part of ensuring forestry operations comply with the plan."
Parliament will not sit until May 3 meaning it could until late May when the validating legislation could pass both houses, but forestry operations were likely to continue in the interim, according to the statement from Dr Volker.
Sustainable Timber Tasmania general manager operations Greg Hickey said the FPA had "re-issued delegations" to STT forest practice officers late last week, and that all forest harvesting was continuing.
The BBF used the opportunity to send protesters to various forestry sites - one in the Eastern Tiers, another near Lake Echo in the Central Highlands and another at Clarence River in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair area.
The Greens have called for compensation to be paid to people who have been arrested, charged and prosecuted in relation to protest activity at native forestry sites since 1987.
Two people were jailed in the 2000s - one for a month, another for three months. Others have been held in custody for various lengths of time and been fined.
Tasmanian Greens climate spokesperson Rosalie Woodruff said it was an opportunity for the Tasmanian Government to reconsider native forestry, and to compensate affected protesters.
"People who have protested, been jailed, spent time in jail, or have faced - like the people on Monday - the potential six months of jail for standing up ... must be paid compensation," she said.
"They have to be paid compensation not just for the costs of penalties, fines that have been paid, but also for the mental anguish of putting their lives on the line."
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