Mr Jones initially faced two charges in court, one related to failing to leave the forest when directed by the police and the second, which potentially carried a two-year sentence, concerning the action he took to hinder logging operations in the State Forest.

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“I didn’t fight the first charge because I was in the forest to stop operations and fighting it would have been futile,” Mr Jones said.

His guilty plea was accepted and, without proceeding to conviction, the matter was dismissed pursuant to Section 10(1)(a) of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999.

“I pleaded not guilty to the second charge and was pleased when my Queensland barrister, Mary Keaney, told me that the prosecution had withdrawn this charge, which was a serious criminal charge.”

He said he took the action in the forest because an old growth bluegum forest that survived the 2019 fires was being systematically destroyed by a logging operation.

“The Minns government has told the public that it is going to not only save koala populations but increase the numbers of koalas in this state.

“It is saying that it is all about saving the koala and other threatened species when in fact the NSW Government is responsible for the destruction of high conservation value habitat which is leading to local extinctions of wildlife species.”

“Many koalas would have died in Ellis State Forest because of the logging.”

Bellingen Environment Centre (BEC) Chair and spokesperson Cath Eaglesham said, “It is absurd and unjust that Michael Jones and other committed forest activists are being prosecuted for protesting against Chris Minns’ broken election promise.

“NSW Labor promised to ‘bring koalas back from the brink’ in their pre-election policy but instead, more logging in their habitat pushes them closer to extinction.

“By their actions, these protestors have shown courage, selflessness, and a passionate commitment to protecting the environment, for the greater good, for future generations.”

Ms Eaglesham said the criminal justice system looks lopsided and unfair when forest protestors are the subject of criminal prosecutions for protest actions, but individuals and logging industry companies suspected of environmental offences are never prosecuted.

“It is this kind of unbalanced approach to criminal prosecutions that leads members of the community to lose faith in the fairness of the criminal justice system,” she said.

A spokesperson for Forestry Corporation NSW said, “While we respect that members of the community have differing views on forestry and have the right to protest, it is extremely unsafe to enter active worksites.

“And it is unlawful to enter an area that has been closed under the Forestry Regulations.”

By Andrew VIVIAN