A COFFS COAST grandfather says he has been left “no other option” but to undertake a hunger strike for the protection of forests.
Peter Elzer has history placing his personal wellbeing on the line for causes he is passionate about.
In 2023 he completed a 2048 kilometre walking journey from Melbourne to Seventeen Seventy in Queensland to “stamp out racism”.
Now in the name of protecting the region’s forests, Mr Elzer said he will carry out a 12-day hunger strike outside Parliament House in Sydney from 26 May.
“Because of the insanity of Forestry Corporation spending taxpayer-money extinction logging and destroying the Great Koala National Park at Mt Coramba, a sacred forest that was promised to be protected by Chris Minns and Penny Sharpe, I am left with no other option than to fast at Parliament,” he said.
“I now do this to draw attention to this absolutely unacceptable and completely crazy situation in the physical presence of those in the NSW Government who bear ultimate responsibility.”
He has written to NSW Members of Parliament outlining the reasons for his stand.
“I know that the forests of the Great Koala National Park nourish and sustain my family with clean water and that they hold carbon stores that keep the climate and humanity safe,” he wrote.
“I know that these forests make it rain and keep our region beautiful, desirable and desired.
“I want my family to be safe and my descendants to be safe and nourished by these forests.”
Mr Elzer said he is very angry that logging has continued in the Great Koala National Park since the Labor government was elected in March 2023, and that koala habitat continues to be reduced through forestry and urbanisation.
“This is why I give my time and peaceful and non-violent efforts to forests,” he said.
Mr Elzer is calling on NSW Premier Chris Minns to “honour his promise and immediately protect the full 176,000 hectares that he promised would be protected”.
By Andrew VIVIAN
Thanks to News of the Ares for covering this signifigant story and the important issue of our local forests being destroyed while the State Labor government has promised to protect them and the koalas who utterly depend on them.