Bryan Green and pulp wood supply

Vica Bayley Press Release

Bryan Green’s dark cloud hangs over wood supply deal for pulp mill

rpdc call for the release of wood supply agreement
THE escalating controversy over the behaviour of ex-Forest Minister Bryan Green has increased public scepticism about the wood supply agreement between Gunns and Forestry Tasmania for the proposed pulp mill. It reinforces repeated calls by The Wilderness Society that the agreement must be made public in the interests of transparency and public confidence.

The secret wood supply deal, negotiated under the watch of the then Forest Minister Mr Green, was debated at yesterday’s rpdc Directions Hearing. The Commission concluded that the agreement must be released to select parties to enable an adequate analysis of wood flow assumptions that form part of the iis.

“A 20-year agreement has been signed that will sell millions of tonnes of Tasmania’s public forests to Gunns, a monopolistic company already embroiled in controversy over its logging of oldgrowth forests and its cosy relationship with the state government,” said Vica Bayley, Campaigner for The Wilderness Society.

“Now, at the same time as Mr Green is arrested and charged with serious offences over the tcc ‘secret deal’, suspicion grows over his involvement in the secret wood supply deal with Gunns.”

Yesterday, heeding the recommendation of its consultants, the rpdc indicated that it would direct Gunns to release the wood supply deal to selected parties, on condition that they keep the details confidential.

“Only full release of all of the details of the agreement will satisfy the Tasmanian public, the real owners of the forests; however, even a conditional release of the information would be preferable to the current situation,” continued Mr Bayley.

“With an appetite for up to four million tonnes of woodchips each year and an expected 80% reliance on native forests at startup, this pulp mill will have a devastating impact on Tasmania’s native forests. There must be full release of the wood supply agreement and the impact of the pulp mill on native forests must be assessed,” concluded Mr Bayley.