Pulp fiction

MEDIA RELEASE 1st March 2006

PUBLIC MEETING REJECTS GUNNS PULP MILL

Labor and Liberal called on to withdraw their support

The Hobart Town Hall was filled to capacity at today’s public meeting where speakers told an enthusiastic crowd of the environmental, social, and economic risks associated with the pulp mill proposal in the Tamar Valley.

The meeting resolved to call on both major political parties to withdraw their support for Gunns’ proposed pulp mill and release policies that would ensure the protection of Tasmania’s world class forests.

“Gunns has said that it wants to build the pulpmill as well as continuing woodchip exports,” said The Wilderness Society spokesperson Vica Bayley.

“With 30-years access to Tasmania’s native forests and the pulpmill’s appetite of up to 4 million tonnes of woodchips each year, in addition to current woodchip exports, the total level of demand for forests will have disastrous impacts on the state’s ecology.”

Amongst the speakers was Dr Mariann Lloyd Smith a senior advisor to the National Toxics Network, based in Canberra. She told the crowd of the dangers of chlorine bleaching pulp mills and her concerns over “misleading” materials being promoted by the Tasmanian Government and Pulp Mill Task Force.

Also speaking were Tasmanian Greens Leader Peg Putt, independent candidate for Bass Les Rochester and Gunns writ defendant number 14, Lou Geraghty.

Vica Bayley
130 Davey St
Hobart