Authorities fail in attempt to evict Leard Forest protest camp

“Moves by police and the Rural Fire Service to remove protesters from two mining areas in the Leard and Pilliga state forests have been stymied after a last-minute intervention by a councillor.

Narrabri Shire Council had been planning to evict the dozens of protesters from Crown land outside the forests about a week after Forestry Corporation of NSW […]

Bevan O’Regan, 80, who has served on the Narrabri Shire Council for 31 years, said he and two other councillors lodged a motion on Thursday blocking the council’s plan to force protesters to leave the road verges they were occupying outside the forests. […]

The council will meet on February 4 to vote on the suspension. The possibility of an appeal could delay an eviction for another 28 days, he said.”

— The Sydney Morning Herald reports on efforts by authorities to evict the Front Line Action on Coal camp from its spot on the edge of Leard State Forest, near Maules Creek in north west NSW. The camp has been in place for around 18 months, protecting the forest from open-cut coal mining. Learn more about the campaign here.