Log trucks stopped from entering EG sawmill

AusWest targeted in Harvey Norman markets campaign

The market boycott campaign on Harvey Norman furniture and their suppliers is the logical conclusion after decades of overlogging and forest destruction says local environment group Environment East Gippsland.

“Less than 1% of the logs taken out of a forest end up as furniture, yet this high end of the market drives the destruction and woodchipping of the rest of the forest”, said Jill Redwood from EEG. “This means that for every piece of hardwood furniture sold by Harvey Norman there could be 5-10 hectares of forest destroyed to make that bed or table. In 2011, this is an unacceptable waste of precious habitat, water catchments and carbon stores”.

“VicForests’ clearfell and burn practices rivals the worst of Asian logging practices. We have recently shown that the logging is often just as illegal with rainforests and rare species habitat illegally destroyed here in Victoria”.

“To target those sections of the retail market that profit from our own forest destruction is as justified as boycotting illegally logged timber from PNG or Indonesia”.

“There are huge opportunities to make beautiful furniture from recycled hardwood timber if stores such as Harvey Norman want to have an eco-friendly image. But plantation timbers supply the wood for most of our furniture needs these days.”

For comment: Jill Redwood 5154 0145