FROM GIPPSLAND EAST FORESTRY VICTORIA REGIONAL MANAGER ANNE GEARY

Harvesting operations in the Goolengook forest block in East Gippsland were successfully completed today. (Wednesday, April 10, 2002)

Since the removal of the blockade on the Goolengook road on the 5th March, harvesting has been undertaken and completed in four coupes, as well as some difficult coupe marking, bridge replacement and roadworks.The high quality log timber harvested from the Goolengook forest block has been supplied to a number of sawmills in the East Gippsland area and will be processed and dried to produce high quality furniture, flooring and engineering timbers.

Approximately a quarter of the logs harvested from the area were unsuitable for sawing and will be used for the production of high quality writing papers. When weather and site conditions are suitable, we will carry out burning in the coupes to prepare the seed bed and induce seed fall from the seed trees for regeneration of the forest.

I would like to also take this opportunity to thank all NRE; Parks Victoria and Victoria Police staff who came to Orbost to assist in managing the Goolengook incident.

Peter Rutherford has also asked me to convey his personal thanks to everyone involved in this most challenging task. He hopes to have the opportunity to personally thank many of you over the next few weeks.

This was at times a difficult and frustrating process, with the removal of the blockade being an emotional event for many.

I would also like to thank the many people who assisted in other ways so as to ensure we had the resources and support to effectively respond to the environmentalists activities and keep the basics of normal business ticking over.

In particular I would like to commend staff for their professional conduct throughout the period, often under very difficult and intimidating circumstances.

I believe the opportunity for a large cross-section of NRE staff to experience first hand a forest protest incident, has provided a better understanding of the pressures some staff experience on a more constant basis.

It also showed we have the ability to respond to incidents other than fire as a professional multi-agency team.

I would particularly like to thank Peter Rutherford for his leadership, support and commitment to the operation from the frontline in the field to the media headlines.

Also to Louise Martin for her dedicated and effective media management during the period.

Peter's involvement and the media management has been commented on by a large number of staff and outsiders, and has had a positive impact on morale of staff, particularly those in Forestry Victoria.

Finally and most importantly, thanks to the East Gippsland FV team for their ongoing dedication, professionalism, and ability to maintain a sense of humour under particularly challenging circumstances.