“A rich blend of Tamar River grapes that goes down smoothly, but leaves a somewhat bitter after taste”.
Will this be a common comment from wine buffs when the “Bell Bay” pulp mill starts wafting its toxic payload over the Tamar Valley’s world renowned vineyards?
Why call it “Bell Bay” when in reality its location is Longreach?
Is it to distance the impact of the mill from this important industry?
What will happen to the Tasmanian wine exports when customers discover that what they consume was grown in the shadow of one of the world’s biggest pulp mills and dusted by chemicals of all varieties?
The “clean green” image once again is carried away in a cloud of substances that pose harm to many people and the environment in which they live.
I wonder if the gentry quietly quaffing a Tamar River Chardonnay will pause and think about what is really in their nectar. Perhaps they will choose a brand that is without all the extra added toxins.
I am a proud supporter of the Tamar River wine industry, but that may all change.
And,
What Jobs?
There has been a lot of talk about the pulp mill supplying jobs for Tasmanians.
John Gay has said that he will need lots of engineers of all types for the mill.
Hands up all those engineers in Tasmania who have experience in running a pulp mill … I thought so!
Now, hands up all those who are waiting for construction trades at the moment … I thought so!
Now hands up all those who reckon Georgetown locals will be slotted into jobs in their new saviour “The pulp mill” … I thought so!
The decision to site the mill at Longreach was a business one.
Hence the decision to hire staff will also be a business one.
If you were running the show to make a profit would you hire someone with experience with pulp mills or someone because they were local and needed work … I thought so!
What about contractors?
Who is big enough in Tasmania to do the job … I thought so!
People have to wait months for tradesmen now, so what makes people think that tradesmen will come out of the woodwork now there is a pulp mill in the pipeline?
So where can you find the people with the knowledge to build and run the pulp mill?
Well for starters, the latest TV advertising shows some Europeans that will be in charge of building the mill.
And the workers?
Make no mistake, there will be workers coming in from all over the place, probably Brazil, India or Indonesia, where expertise is rife.
Still, there could be a business opportunity opening a Taco takeaway or Pappadum Café to supply the new workforce.
I’m sure there is scope there for enterprising Tasmanians.
Good Luck Tasmania.
Paul de Burgh-Day
February 27, 2005 at 12:56 pm
If it makes Dave and other wine producers along the Tamar feel a bit better …
My guess is that this pulp mill will never happen. It is a dead duck.
I have little doubt that it is now a joint Lib/Lab/Gunns strategy to trap the Greens into killing it off for them. The last thing they want, any of them, is a result where the Greens hold the balance of power. Can you imagine!
So what better way than to announce ‘Bell Bay’ – the least viable option that faces critical water issues, and in the same breath make sure everyone knows it will use chlorine and tip out loads of organochlorine wastes? Guaranteed to wind up the greenies eh?
Quite a cunning scheme when you think about it.
My advice now is to be cool, sit back and watch what happens between now and the middle of the year.
Maybe the Greens will not fall into the trap.
Why do I think it is a dead duck?
Because I suspect that the foreign finance isn’t there any more. Anyone who delves into the global finacial realities right now (which you will not find in our mainstream media) would know that there are some very scary things happening right now. The wheels are very close to falling off the USA.
Actually, our head of Treasury, Ken Henry, has sounded a warning in the last week that actually got published in The Australian. Didn’t go down well with the PM of course.
It will be an interesting ride!