My fears about the pulp mill

John Day, Citizen

The current Pulp Mill proposal and its IIS, has to be handed back to the company and the whole of this new enormous project made subject to review by the RPDC.

THIS new enormous pulp mill project will directly effect upwards of 25% of all Tasmanians.

This new enormous project will directly impinge on 8 Tasmanian Councils.

This new enormous project will directly involve the clear felling; and loss of bio-diversity of more than an additional 30,000 hectares per year of forests and plantations.

This new enormous project will destroy the habitat of more than 300,000 native animals per year.

This new enormous project will directly cause the continued loss of more than 15,000 hectares of viable agricultural land per year.

This new enormous project will cause the State Government to fund the upgrading of more than 100kms of major roads, bridges and infrastructures.

This new enormous project will cause the State Government to provide guarantees for the supply of water, power and ports over 30 year period when these resources are not certain and diminishing.

This new enormous project will continue the detrimental loss of services and community activities in our regional areas.

This new enormous project will increase by 150% the use of 1080 and toxic aerial spraying chemicals.

This new enormous project will increase the need for a Government-independent Environmental Protection Agency.

This new enormous project will accelerate the loss of ground water particularly in regional areas.

Brought out into the open

This new enormous project will continue the serious lack of financial return of the Forestry Commission.

This new enormous project will continue to threaten Tasmania’s clean and green, eco-tourism and food, honey, and wine industries.

This new enormous project scope needs to be defined, resources defined, benefits identified and the overall covert arrangements brought out into the open by a comprehensive review by a legally strengthened RPDC.

This new enormous project will continue increase the road deaths, costs and damage caused by log trucks.

This new enormous project, particularly the total forestry resource undertakings needs to be reviewed, costed out, opened to competition, and balanced against the cost to the State Government and the Community.

The RPDC should place at the head of its list the wishes of the Community / Tasmanian’s Together values before it starts the process, the environmental issues should be established by the RPDC totally independent of Government and the Industry — and before it starts the process.

These and the benefits should be presented to Tasmanians for comment before any company; any branch of Government provides “Heads of Agreements” or covert deals or changes to statutory laws and regulations, providing direct orchestrated assistance to the Proponent. The State Government should be required to provide separately to the RPDC its own IIS, detailing the infrastructure costs, additional services required and the cost-benefits etc.

The current Pulp Mill proposal and its IIS, has to be handed back to the company and the whole of this new enormous project made subject to review by the RPDC.

The Premier, Ministers, Pulp Mill Task Force, the Proponent, Councils, TCCI and the NRDC have together not told us their true intentions with regards to this enormous project. We have not been told the whole picture and undertakings. We have been advised: mainly through hype and spin about parts of the current project. Some of which at the time did not add up.

Remain in business

The IIS was supposed to clear this up, but just made it more nebulous. Until this week the tonnages did not add up, why use pine for pulp, where was all the timber coming from anyway (this still may be a big question). Why did the current proposal include an upgrade (doubling) of the woodchipping capacity?

When you look at the proposed site pictured in the IIS, there are large areas of grass — what this about? Perhaps a paper mill — is that why they changed the proposal’s “ownership”. Why weren’t the environmental and logistical effects of a paper mill not included in the current IIS?

Is there enough timber over the next 30 years for all companies: and the Proponent to continue in business? Let alone to allow other companies to remain in business or expand or allow new companies: possibly with higher added value products to enter Tasmania. What about all the smaller companies now and in the next 30 years that need timber and forestry product will they have a chance?

I just hope enough Tasmanians for once, read the IIS, ask questions of the Proponent and their Council and direct questions and demand answers from their Council and State Representatives to their concerns over this enormous project. Demand, that the IIS is handed back now, and the whole enormous project is brought out in the open and a new RPDC process is started.

Now, before the RPDC concludes the process.

John Day
Rowella