| Reproduced
by Discover-Tasmania.com |
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Farmer
battles on in 1080 row
By JOHN BRIGGS 23 April 03 BATTLING organic farmer Stuart Young was forced to sell his car at auction yesterday to fund legal fees in his David and Goliath battle with timber giant Gunns Ltd. Gunns has appealed to the Supreme Court over a condition imposed by the Resource Management and Planning Appeals Tribunal that the company should pay $4000 as a contribution to the cost of a poisoned wildlife-proof enclosure for the organically certified animals on Mr Young's farm at Middleton. Mr Young's property adjoins a Gunns' forestry coupe and has been the subject of a dispute between the Kingborough Council and the timber company since it was revealed last August almost 200ha of forest had been clear-felled without council approval. Mr Young said it was "unbelievable" that the company, which made more than $50 million last year, would not cough up a mere $4000 to help avoid 1080 poison contamination of his farm animals after the tribunal had ruled in his favour. He said council development conditions included a fence along a section of the coupe boundary that would restrict the access of poisoned wildlife on to his and neighbouring properties. "We had huge concerns over the intended use of 1080 poison to kill native animals on the forestry coupe as we had evidence our organic certification could be jeopardised if our livestock had access to poisoned animal carcasses," Mr Young said. "Ironically, the tribunal made the condition of a payment to me of $4000 towards an enclosure [replacing council's proposed fence line], and now I have to go to court to defend the tribunal decision. "What is this company trying to do to us? "Are they trying to take our property away from us?" Mr Young said there would be a public outcry if people were allowed to throw dead animals over a neighbour's fence but the State Government sanctioned 1080-poisoned animals being allowed to stagger off and die on neighbouring properties. "Is Tasmania's clean and green image mere propaganda?" he said. "Since animals poisoned with 1080 remain toxic until they fully decompose, which can be months, our chickens, ducks, goats, sheep and dog are all in danger. "And what if contaminated wildlife ends up dying in our crops and dams." Mr Young said he was struggling to survive and he would require money to fight the needless court battle. "It's just not fair," he said. The Kingborough Council has also been listed as a respondent to the appeal, but Mr Young said the council had advised him it would not be challenging Gunns over the appeal. The appeal will be mentioned before a judge in the Supreme Court in Launceston on Monday. Gunns Ltd was unavailable for comment yesterday. |