Protections urged for threatened forestry workersFriday 11 Aug 2023 Aggressive, violent and unhygienic attacks have been directed at forestry workers and their families amid rising tensions over the industry's future.Environmental and financial concerns, a promised koala sanctuary and the fallout from interstate logging bans have made NSW's state forests a new battleground for workers and those against the industry. Claims of workers receiving 200 harassing phone calls a day, having faeces thrown at them and their wives threatened with rape were aired in parliament this week, prompting Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty to call for more respect from protesters. "Everyone deserves to go to work and be able to come home safely," she told AAP. "People who move onto forest land need to be safe from injury and also not put others at risk. "I respect the right of people to protest but we also have to respect each other and not put people's and worker's lives at risk of injury or worse." While protests were generally portrayed as peaceful, NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Mark Banasiak said there was a need to create timber safety zones to protect workers. He said he had learned of many instances of threatening behaviour towards workers. He introduced a bill that would create a specific offence for unauthorised entries to timber safety zones, similar to those enacted in Victoria last year. More >> Source: canberratimes |
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