Environmental campaigner found dead

September 13, 2006 - 8:24PM , AAP

A woman whose body was found in suspicious circumstances on the NSW south coast was a tireless environmental campaigner who had attracted many enemies, it was claimed.

Police would not confirm the identity of the 69-year-old woman, but Shoalhaven mayor Greg Watson said she was Doris Owens, a former partner of well-known unionist and environmental campaigner Joe Owens.

Her body was found at her holiday house on Tuesday in the tiny seaside village of Swanhaven, near Sussex Inlet.

Police would only say that her death was being treated as suspicious.

Mr Watson told the Nine Network that Ms Owens had led a local campaign to stop people chopping down or damaging trees.

"She said she was going to hide and observe people who were damaging the trees," Mr Watson said.

He said at one stage, a sign saying "Green Headquarters" had been spray-painted along the entire length of the front fence at the Swanhaven home.

The Nine Network reported that Ms Owen's website had told of death threats and hate mail against her, and last year she had written "that the whole campaign must be stopped before a community member is hurt or worse".

Local residents had said she made many enemies in her battle for the environment.

As secretary of the local Progress Association, she had involved herself in the everyday life of the Shoalhaven community by planting trees, proposing a local cycleway and fighting vandalism.

A friend, Michelle Harris, said Ms Owens had been "like the soul of Swanhaven".

"We'll just try and carry on her work as best we can," Ms Harris said.

Ms Owens' former partner, Joe Owens, was the Builders Labourers Federation organiser who with Jack Mundey imposed Sydney's famous green bans in the early seventies.