At Kew near Port Macquarie, award-winning artist Suey McEnnally and an environmental scientist from the Manning Valley, Ella Baker locked themselves to the gates of Pentarch Forestry's Heron's Creek sawmill.

Activists say it is the largest native forest sawmill in NSW.

Police have arrived on the scene and are working to detach both women from the sawmill's gates.

The back gate of the facility has been removed with Ms Baker still attached with a D-lock around her neck.

Juliet Lamont, an activist participating in the protest at the sawmill, said she found it "disturbing" and "abhorrent" the way police moved Ms Baker.

"Rather than waiting for [Police] Rescue to come, they decided to take [Ella] off on the hinges of each gate."

Ms Lamont said she was concerned protesters were being treated unfairly.

"During my tree-sit at Yarratt State Forest, I was taken out of my [tree] climbing system really dangerously," she said.

"We need to get to a point in this protest and campaign ahead of the NSW state election that people play fair.

"We're not doing this because we want to get arrested, but people need to be treated humanely and not put in danger."

McEnnally, who is in her 70s, remains attached to the gate, with Police Rescue expected to remove her.

Protests ahead of state election:

Protest activity has ramped up over the past month ahead of the state election, as several groups campaign for the government to transition to timber plantations.

The community group that staged today's protest at the Pentarch sawmill, Save Bulga Forest, has staged eight protest actions since Christmas on the lower Mid North Coast, in response to an increase in forestry activity.

New South Wales Greens MP Sue Higginson attended the protest at Doubleduke and has attended several other protests on the north coast this month.

"I think the state government knows the end of public native forestry logging is upon us," Ms Higginson said.

"WA has committed, Vic has committed.

"It's absurd, it's time to stop, and the NSW government knows this."