SERCA South East Region Conservation Alliance (SERCA) ChipBusters CHIPSTOP NCC Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) ConsACT – Conservation Council of ACT Region Incc ---------------------------------------------------------- Media Release 14 April 2010 NSW Australia South East Forests near Bega   Video available from ABC. Still Images from Today's protest : http://www.flickr.com/photos/30873160@N05/     Mumbulla Koala Woodchip Destruction Proceeds –> United Call with Traditional Aboriginal Owners for NSW Premier To Intervene More than 100 local people, led by three Aboriginal Traditional Owners, today held a peaceful demonstration in the contested logging area. The diverse community groups, residents and conservationists present, together with the Aboriginal Traditional Owners, have renewed the call for Premier Keneally to put a permanent stop to the destruction of this critical koala habitat. "We were delighted that Aboriginal traditional owners joined us in this united community action today. The action has been taken by a large group of local people in the face of threats of arrest and automatic fines of $2000 per person just for entering the general area of the logging," said Harriet Swift of conservation group CHIPSTOP. The traditional owners present said  "We, the traditional owners of Mumbulla Mountain, are distressed that woodchip logging is taking place on part of our sacred land. The land should be handed over to us to care for it, our sacred sites and the animals that live here. We need to preserve it for our culture and our future generations." "The views of the traditional owners of this country must be sought and respected through the permanent protection of the wider cultural landscape in which Mumbulla sits with its sister sacred Mountain, Gulaga," said John Hibberd of the Conservation Council ACT region. "The Premier simply cannot continue to ignore the environmental and cultural disaster taking place here,â€� said Prue Acton of the South East Conservation Alliance and Noel Plumb of ChipBusters. "She also has a responsibility to the koalas and all the other animals and to future generations to preserve our wonderful forest heritage.