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NSW FOREST COLLECTIVE
Direct Action
Direct action is when people take collective, immediate steps to stop harm, challenge power, and defend what matters - without waiting for governments, courts, or corporations to do the right thing. In the context of forest defence, direct action often means physically placing our bodies between destructive machinery and the forests we love.
This can include walk-ons, banner drops, blockades, locking on to equipment, tree sits, and other creative forms of resistance. It’s rooted in care, urgency, and the understanding that the systems meant to protect the environment are failing.
Direct action is a tool of last resort - used when all other avenues (petitions, lobbying, court appeals, public outcry) have been ignored. It makes our voices impossible to ignore, disrupts business-as-usual, and shines a spotlight on injustice. It’s a way for ordinary people to step into their collective power and say: enough is enough.But it’s not used in isolation — direct action is often one part of a broader strategy.
We use it to stall destructive logging operations long enough to complete thorough on-ground surveys, expose breaches of law, gather public attention, and buy time for legal injunctions to be filed in court. When logging begins before threatened species assessments are properly completed - which happens often - direct action holds the line until other tools can be brought to bear.
It’s one of the most powerful tools we have, especially when used in conjunction with science, media, legal advocacy, and community pressure. The forest movement is strongest when we work across different tactics and roles - and direct action is what makes all the other tools possible by keeping the forest standing long enough to use them.
We also know this: native forest logging has an expiry date. With over 70% of Australians opposed to native forest logging, public sentiment is well ahead of political will. Sooner or later, this industry will fall. Every minute, hour, or day that we hold them off - every tree, glade, or hectare saved - is a part of the forest that will still be there when this ecocide finally ends.
That’s why we act. That’s why we resist. And that’s why we don’t stop.
Yes - direct action does work, and we have decades of powerful evidence to prove it. Across Australia, community-led action has delayed, disrupted, or completely stopped some of the most destructive projects proposed in our forests, rivers, and communities. From ancient rainforest blockades to stopping gas wells and mines, these moments show that when people stand together, we win.
Here are just a few examples where direct action played a critical role in stopping destruction and creating lasting change:
Franklin River Blockade (Tasmania, 1982–83)
One of the most iconic and successful environmental campaigns in Australian history. Thousands of people took part in blockades to stop the damming of the Franklin and Gordon Rivers. Despite arrests and fierce opposition, the action generated national and international attention. The campaign ultimately led to a High Court ruling, the protection of the Franklin River, and the creation of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Terania Creek Rainforest Blockade (NSW, 1979)
This was the first direct action campaign to save rainforest in Australia. Community members physically blocked bulldozers in the Nightcap Ranges, stopping logging in precious rainforest. The campaign triggered public outcry and led to the creation of national parks in the Border Ranges, protecting thousands of hectares of subtropical rainforest.
The Bentley Blockade (NSW Northern Rivers, 2014)
Thousands of people blockaded a planned coal seam gas site near Bentley. After weeks of escalating protest, the NSW Government withdrew the gas exploration licence. This marked a landmark win against fracking in New South Wales and showed that rural communities, First Nations people, and environmentalists could win together.
Upper Florentine Valley Blockade (TAS, 2006–2012)
In south-west Tasmania, the Upper Florentine campaign saw years of sustained, peaceful resistance by forest defenders. Tree sits, lock-ons, and walk-ins blocked logging in ancient old growth forest, much of it bordering the existing World Heritage Area. The campaign was part of a broader movement that helped force the Tasmanian Forest Agreement, signed in 2013. This agreement led to over 170,000 hectares of native forest being added to reserves, including extensions to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, protecting ecosystems previously slated for logging.
East Gippsland Post-Bushfire Logging (VIC, 2020–21)
Following the 2019–20 bushfires, activists blockaded logging of unburnt forest refuges in East Gippsland, exposing illegal operations and the logging of critical habitat areas. Sustained action and media pressure led to halted operations and greater scrutiny of post-fire logging in Victoria.
Bulga Forest Blockade (NSW Mid North Coast, 2023)
Local residents, Traditional Owners and forest defenders launched sustained blockades in Bulga State Forest to protect koala habitat. The action brought national attention to logging of public native forests in NSW. It forced Forestry Corporation to pause logging temporarily, and significantly grew public awareness in the lead-up to forest policy reviews.
Errinundra Plateau (VIC, 2021)
Activists established a remote blockade to prevent logging of critical habitat for the critically endangered greater glider and other species. The action stalled logging for months, brought scientists and media into the forest, and led to expanded calls for an end to native forest logging in Victoria - which the government later committed to in 2023.
Goolengook Forest Blockade (VIC, 1997–2002)
Years of blockades in Goolengook in East Gippsland delayed logging in this ancient forest. The long-running campaign generated huge media attention, and in 2006, the Victorian Government announced permanent protection of the area under the Errinundra National Park.
Walmadan (James Price Point, WA, 2010–13)
Traditional Owners and activists blockaded proposed gas development on the Kimberley coast. After years of resistance, the project was cancelled, preserving important cultural sites and a globally significant wilderness coastline.
Each of these campaigns succeeded not just because of direct action alone, but because communities organised, strategised, supported one another, and applied pressure through legal, political, and media channels too.
Direct action isn’t a silver bullet - but it’s the sharpest, clearest, and most urgent way to stop destruction in the moment, and to buy time for broader resistance to succeed. It works when it’s sustained, supported, and strategic — and every one of us has a role to play in making it effective.
You don’t need to get arrested to be part of action. Every role is valuable. Some of the many roles include:
• Frontline roles – climbers, lock-on teams, banner drops, walkers-on
• Support roles – legal observers, photographers, police liaison, media contacts
• Logistics – cooking, camp support, transport, tech help, constructing blockades
• Outreach – talking to locals, documenting breaches, running trainings
Not at all. While some people choose to take arrestable action, there are many other ways to contribute. You can help with camp logistics, media, legal support, outreach, fundraising, research, cooking, or just showing up to events. Everyone has something to offer, and every role matters.
There are also ways to participate in direct action without risking arrest – including support roles on the ground, helping from camp, or working on comms and logistics. You can also attend rallies, town protests and public events with no risk of legal consequences. Being part of this movement doesn’t require being arrested – just a commitment to protect forests.
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