The devastation of MIS

Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne tabled a case study of the devastating impact of Managed Investment Schemes (MIS) for plantations on communities in northwest Tasmania in the Senate on Tuesday …
CANBERRA
Tuesday, 23 September 2008

Christine Milne – Australian Greens

Carbon sink forests tax rort would devastate regional communities

Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne tabled a case study of the devastating impact of Managed Investment Schemes (MIS) for plantations on communities in northwest Tasmania in the Senate today.

The Preolenna and Meunna Story was tabled alongside Senator Milne’s dissenting report for the Senate Inquiry into the tax treatment of Carbon Sink Forests which warns of a host of environmental and social consequences should the tax concession go ahead and is supported by Liberal and National Senators Heffernan, Joyce, Nash and Boswell.

Senator Milne said “This extra tax break for polluters like coal generators and airlines would be bad for the environment and bad for regional communities. Prime agricultural land will be replaced by plantations unless the Senate disallows the regulations.

“People in rural and regional communities who have been devastated by MIS plantations should be warning other communities across regional Australia that MIS on steroids is heading their way if the Senate does not stop it.

“This report seeks to give a voice to a few of those people – the people of Preolenna and Meunna – to tell the story of the loss of family farming land, the loss of postal services and youth centres, greater fire risk, and the devastation of their communities.

“With personal stories and detailed evidence, the report shows just two clear examples of how MIS scheme have destroyed farms, families and whole communities.

“For almost a century, Preolenna and Meunna were ideal dairying, cattle grazing and potato land with 27 productive farms in 1985. In 2001, the last dairy farmer was left with no other choice than to sell his property to the plantation sector after the milk tanker told him it was no longer viable to undertake a daily collection run just for him.

“By giving tax incentives to plantations at the same time as exposing farmers to a deregulated market, the Howard Government set up an impossible competition for struggling rural communities. Land prices went through the roof and valuable farming land was sold to plantation companies at a time of global food shortages.

“The Carbon Sink Forests tax break would be even worse. Not only will it be socially devastating, but it is also environmentally irresponsible. It will encourage clearance of native vegetation and further interception of water, and it leaves all environmental regulation and enforcement up to the States, which is a recipe for disaster.

“The complete lack of targets – on hectares planted or carbon sequestered – shows that this legislation is clearly aimed at subsidising polluters for no quantifiable carbon benefit.”

The Preolenna and Meunna Story – A Tasmanian Case Study

In 1998, the Commonwealth Government introduced the policy mechanism of Managed Investment Schemes (MIS) to encourage investment in Australia’s tree plantation sector with a goal of trebling the plantation base by the year 2020. This goal was part of Australia’s efforts to respond to the United Nation’s frustration at the lack of progress to meet sustainable development goals and concern regarding global warming. The introduction of this policy mechanism has led to out of control, unfair market competition between traditional farmers and tree farmers for prime agricultural land, and significant food production areas such as those found at Preolenna and Meunna in Tasmania.

To read the full report visit: http://www.christinemilne.org.au

Dissenting Report Carbon Sink Forests

Read the Dissenting Report Carbon Sink Forests by Senator Christine Milne, Australian Greens, Senator Barnaby Joyce, Senator Fiona Nash, and Senator the Hon Ronald Boswell (The Nationals Senators) and the Hon Bill Heffernan, Liberal Party of Australia – Page 37.

To read the full report visit:

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/rrat_ctte/carbon_sink/report/report.pdf

And:

Government will release pulp mill report … if Gunns agrees
Australian Greens – Christine Milne

Canberra, Monday, 22 September 2008

The Federal Environment Department has finally agreed to release a key report on the Gunns’ pulp mill, as long as Gunns does not appeal within the next 30 days.

Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne has been seeking the public release of the report, Preliminary Hydrodynamic Modelling of the Bell Bay Outfall, by the CSIRO’s Dr Michael Herzfeld, since she became aware of it some months ago. After two unsuccessful attempts to have it released through Freedom of Information processes, Senator Milne’s most recent appeal may finally be successful.

Senator Milne said “The Government has finally agreed that it is in the public interest to release this report, but it is still giving Gunns the opportunity to override that public interest to protect its own corporate interest.

“I understand that the Herzfeld report will show that the proposed Gunns pulp mill cannot meet its effluent targets in the mixing zone. If that is so, then Guns will need to spend at least $50 million on tertiary treatment for its waste streams.

“This is information that must be in the public domain, and any potential funders that Gunns is talking to around the world have a right to be fully informed.

“I would certainly hope that Gunns will stop blocking public access to key information about their proposed pulp mill.

“Gunns has made fools of the Tasmanian and Federal Governments, as they both bent over backwards to suit their every request. It is good to see that the Federal Government may be starting to stand up for itself, but it is clearly still a long way from standing up straight.”

To read the Statement of Reasons from the Department visit:

http://christine-milne.greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/government-will-release-pulp-mill-report-%E2%80%A6-if-gunns-agrees