Don Burke: Yes, in my backyard

Vica Bayley Wilderness Society MR

“With Gunns still logging and woodchipping oldgrowth and high conservation value forests, clearfelling areas in domestic water catchments, clearing critical habitat of endangered species, poisoning animals with 1080 and emitting millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, Mr Burke has his work cut out for him,”
MEDIA RELEASE – 9th October 2008

DON BURKE’S NEW PR/ENVIRO POSITION WITH GUNNS

The announcement today that Don Burke will be taking up a ‘sort of PR’ position with Gunns, assisting with environmental issues, is welcome provided he assists the company make the real changes to their business operations that the Tasmanian community wants, according to The Wilderness Society.

“With Gunns still logging and woodchipping oldgrowth and high conservation value forests, clearfelling areas in domestic water catchments, clearing critical habitat of endangered species, poisoning animals with 1080 and emitting millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, Mr Burke has his work cut out for him,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for The Wilderness Society.

“If he can assist the company make the desperately needed change away from these environmentally destructive and deeply unpopular logging practices, his contribution will be valuable and welcome.

“If the status quo of environmental destruction in Tasmania’s forests remains, Mr Burke will be little more than a high profile messenger in a ‘greenwashing’ public relations campaign. He will stand condemned and will have done untold damage to his credibility.”

Mr Bayley said that the first things Mr Burke should do is to insist that Gunns does not appeal the release of a CSIRO research paper into the effluent impacts of the pulp mill, that they release all wood supply information, and ensure that the company immediately withdraw the Gunns 20 lawsuit against environmental campaigners, including The Wilderness Society.

“Convincing the company to pull the plug on the pulp mill would be a great achievement for Mr Burke and welcomed by many around the globe,” said Mr Bayley. “The environmental threats posed by this proposal encompass many areas including forest and habitat destruction, climate change, water catchments, air and marine pollution.”

“The Wilderness Society has written to Mr Burke, via Gunns, requesting a meeting and an opportunity to show him the reality of Tasmanian logging and the environmental problems it brings,” concluded Mr Bayley.

The letter

Mr Don Burke,
c/o Gunns Limited,
PO Box 572,
Launceston, 7250. 9th October 2008

Dear Mr Burke,

Congratulations on your new role advising Gunns on issues relating to their environmental performance. Any contribution to assist this company turn around their current poor environmental standards is welcome and this reform is long overdue.

The Wilderness Society requests an opportunity to meet with you to discuss the issues we, and many in the community have with Gunns’ current environmental practices. We have long opposed the destruction of Tasmania’s oldgrowth and high conservation value forests and the associated negative impacts this logging has on the many values those forests hold.

As you would no doubt be aware, The Wilderness Society is also assisting the campaign to protect Tasmania’s economic, social and environmental future by opposing Gunns’ pulp mill proposal. This project represents a real threat to so many aspects of the positive things for which Tasmania is known.

Any meeting should encompass a comprehensive field visit into the forests and take in water catchment issues, wildlife, climate change and the taxpayer subsidised roll out of plantations across productive agricultural land.

Out of courtesy, I attach my media comment in regards to your appointment. Likewise, I will attach this letter to the release of that media statement.

I look forward to discussing these issues with you and assisting your understanding of the challenges involved with transforming Gunns into an environmentally and socially responsible corporate citizen.

Yours sincerely,

Vica Bayley,
Tasmanian Forest Campaigner,
The Wilderness Society.