Bessie Rischbieth Conservation Award Recipient 1999

Peter Robertson

Peter Robertson has had a long involvement in conservation and in particular an inspirational role in the forests campaign.

Peter’s first direct involvement in conservation was at a 1979 Campaign to Save Native Forests protest against Alcoa’s bauxite mining in the Jarrah forest.  In 1981 he cycled across the Nullabor to join the Franklin River campaign.  He has also:
 Coordinated Powerline Action, a Melbourne alliance to stop construction of a high voltage powerline through city areas,
 Coordinated the Wilderness Society’s Kimberley campaign, and
 Served as a member of the CCWA Executive.

Since 1992 he was the convenor of the WA Forest Alliance, which he has guided with skill, energy and vision. Both in the forests and in Perth he has headed the campaign:
 To save old growth forests,
 To introduce ecologically sustainable forest management, and
 To develop and implement ecologically defensible prescribed burning.

Peter has organized and participated in numerous high profile and successful non-violent direct actions, notably at the woodchip stockpile in Bunbury, the woodchip train near Manjimup and Simcoa’s silicon plant at Kemerton.  He is constantly in demand as a speaker and media spokesperson and is respected and heeded by colleagues, politicians and bureaucrats alike.

Peter is currently the WA Campaigner Manager at The Wilderness Society