Lennon’s effluent plan …

Paul Oosting Wilderness Society MR

New pulp mill assessment required if Lennon plan proceeds
THE Wilderness Society has obtained legal advice that a fresh assessment of Gunns’ proposed pulp mill would have to be carried out by the Federal Government if proposals by the Lennon government to dump sewage into Bass Strait along with pulp mill effluent go ahead.

The proposal from the Lennon government would make void marine work and modelling which have so far been undertaken as part of the Federal Government assessment.

The legal advice prepared by Fitzgerald and Brown states:

“it is quite possible that the disposal of Launceston sewage into Bass Strait will comprise a fresh project for the purpose of the EPBC Act, and will require a fresh assessment for the same reasons that the effluent discharge from the pulp mill into Bass Strait required an assessment, i.e. perceived significant impact on Commonwealth waters.”

“We will be writing to Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett alerting him to Paul Lennon’s plans and the potential need for a new assessment,” said Mr Paul Oosting pulp mill campaigner for The Wilderness Society.

“The dumping of sewage into Bass Strait along with pulp mill effluent will dramatically change impacts on the fishing industry and marine life. It is an area which the Commonwealth government has already identified as serious and studies into the effluent impact are still unfinished,” said Mr Oosting.

“The Premier should not be removing people’s land rights and using taxpayers’ money to benefit one company,” concluded Mr Oosting.