Gunns pulp and the RPDC

Anne Johnston Citizen

With the closing date for submissions to the RPDC regarding Gunn’s draft pulp mill IIS drawing very close (4:30 on Monday 25th Sept), the ball is now firmly in the RPDC’s court.

There will be many thousands of Tasmanians scrutinizing any pronouncements coming from that supposedly impartial umpire.
The RPDC has been inundated with submissions ranging from the non-expert, but very heartfelt concerns of residents of the Tamar Valley (who are, after all, those who will bear the brunt of the effects of the mill’s emissions, effluent, noise, smell, increased heavy traffic and reduced property values) to extremely well-researched submissions by experts, which call into question the very scientific and economic basis of the draft IIS.

Yes, it is a large document, but unfortunately, largeness does not seem to equate with thoroughness or rigour in this case. The document appears to be full of contradictions, dubious science and downright errors, and it leaves many areas of the RPDC’s own guidelines scantily addressed or not addressed at all.

The RPDC is on notice to do its job with due diligence regarding Gunn’s IIS, but one cannot help but wonder about the impartiality of the RPDC when one discovers that it is headed by Julian Green who was a staffer to Robin Gray — former premier and now on the Gunns Board of Directors.

This simply highlights the incestuousness of the relationship between Government and big business in Tasmania, and leaves thinking Tasmanians in serious doubt as to the ability of the RPDC to do its job properly.

I sincerely hope our doubts are proven groundless.

Anne Johnston,
West Tamar

Meanwhile …

That share price:
Latest Stock Market detail: Here
And the Commsec report:
Gunns: you read it here first (with earlier links)
And Stephen Mayne on Gunns, MP3 download:
Stephen Mayne on Gunns
And:
Tony McCall: The Industrial Museum at Long Reach