Former leader, and a founder of the Greens party, Bob Brown made a surprise visit to the Leard Forest coal mine protestors’ camp on Tuesday.
“He met several local farmers and activists at the camp. Bob was shown the productive farming land around Maules Creek by local farmer Cliff Wallace,” protestor Pat Schultz said.
“Bob then toured the Leard State Forest with protestor Murray Dreichsler, a group of locals and some activists. The group strolled along the road verge in Leard State Forest and admired the diversity in the grassy whitebox woodland habitat area. Bob commented on the large number of trees with breeding hollows in that small patch of forest.
“We then moved on to look at an open cut coal mine in Leard State Forest.
“Bob was saddened to see the destruction of this significant forest” said Pat.
“Bob Brown told the group to ‘keep up the good work’’ Ms Schultz said.
“‘If you don’t stand up for the forest we will lose it’” he said. “He thanked the group for their dedication.
“Maules Creek resident Ros Druce with her three passengers farewelled Bob and was last to leave Leard State Forest’ said Ms Schultz.
“Her car was stopped by police. There was a suggestion that Ms Druce was breaking a law by entering enclosed lands. This was not the case. After holding Ms Druce and her passengers for about 20 minutes the police allowed her to leave.
“‘I face this every day,’” said Ms Druce. “‘My car has been searched four times and my family have been prevented from visiting my home. I run the gauntlet and have passed as many as twelve police cars and twenty or more police getting home from town. It is rare to get home without being stopped and questioned.’”