Vandalism, Theft Hit Forestry Sites

Newcastle Herald

Saturday April 9, 2005

By IAN KIRKWOOD

VANDALISM and theft were "endemic" on forestry sites in the Morisset area, Forests NSW acting Hunter manager Steve Dobbyns said this week.

He said vandals had fired marbles from slingshots through the windows of foresters' vehicles and stolen various items including tools, radios, fuel and solar panels from operations in the Watagan and surrounding forests.

Things were getting so bad that Forests NSW was looking to start "a bush version of Neighbourhood Watch", and it was likely to step up video surveillance at its logging sites, Mr Dobbyns said.

He said sites in the Upper Hunter were rarely attacked, but vandalism in the Morisset area was "endemic".

The latest spate of incidents culminated on the night of Tuesday, March 29, when a specialised excavator was burnt out in logging compartment 248/250 of the Watagan State Forest.

Allan Howard, whose company H&R Howard owns the $320,000 machine, said yesterday that it was probably a write-off.

"Hopefully insurance will cover it, but we've also lost something like 3500 litres of diesel in the few months we've been here,' Mr Howard said.

He said police had visited the site to investigate, but he had heard nothing since.

Mr Howard said the fuel thefts had set him back $4000, and the excavator fire had put the operation substantially behind schedule.

He and his wife had even stayed back at night in the forest on watch, only to have fuel stolen in the early hours of the morning after they had gone home.

He said his machines had locked fuel tanks, but thieves had broken the locks.

Mr Dobbyns said he hoped that anti-logging protesters were not behind the attacks, but it was impossible to rule anybody in or out.

The burnt excavator was a mystery, but the bonnet was found up, meaning the fire may have started after an attempt to hot-wire the 24-volt electrics went wrong.

"If people are trying to hurt Forests NSW they might like to realise that it's a private contractor they are damaging," Mr Dobbyns said.

© 2005 Newcastle Herald

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