Business Review Weekly
And it is not enough to walk the walk – companies must talk the talk. Gay has taken an arrogant confrontation approach and it has backfired Read more here
Stephen Bartholomeusz Business Spectator
While technically true – final approval for the mill won’t be granted until the three final environmental modules have been submitted, which probably won’t occur for at least 18 months – the real impact of the decisions taken by Garrett are closer to Gunns’ interpretation than Garrett’s spin. Read more here
The Age: Finance likely to be the final decider. Finance doubts for mill. Garrett gives Gunns more time
What Julia Gillard, Kim Booth, Paul Oosting say…
Media Release Tuesday, 6 January 2009
Acting Prime Minister confirms Bell Bay Pulp Mill construction approval
Gunns Limited has welcomed comments today from acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard confirming the Bell Bay pulp mill has been approved to begin construction.
Ms Gillard told the Seven Network this morning: “The construction works are considerable and there’s been environmental assessment of those and they’ve been given the all clear, so Gunns can start the construction.”
Gunns Sustainability Manager Calton Frame said Ms Gillard’s comments removed any uncertainty over the mill’s approval.
“Ms Gillard has recognised that the mill has approval to begin construction immediately,” he said.
“It is pleasing to see such confirmation from the highest level of government, and is welcome support for a project that will create 2000 much-needed jobs during construction.
“These jobs – with 1600 jobs during operation – will do a great deal to stimulate the northern Tasmanian economy.”
Mr Frame reiterated the company’s statements to the Australian Securities Exchange that the company was continuing to negotiate with a banking syndicate and potential joint-venture partners.
“We will begin construction immediately upon financial close,” he said.
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MEDIA RELEASE – TUESDAY, 6th January 2009
COMMUNITY TAKES PULP MILL CONCERNS TO JODIE CAMPBELL
Campbell, Rudd and Garrett must not allow construction to begin before science is complete
Community members today took their concerns over Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett’s part approval of the pulp mill to the electorate office of Bass MHR Jodie Campbell, to deliver their verdict on the decision and call on their political leaders not to allow Gunns to being construction of the mill until all scientific work is complete.
“Minister Garrett has allowed a situation where construction on the mill can begin without a final approval, putting the cart before the horse and defying prudent planning logic,” said Paul Oosting, spokesperson for The Wilderness Society.
“Jodie Campbell, as elected representative for Bass must work with Mr Garrett and Prime Minister Rudd to ensure Gunns withhold any construction until there is a full understanding of the impact of the daily dumping of 64,000 tonnes of toxic pollution into Bass Strait.”
“Bulldozers could move in any day now and construction work can begin before a there is a full understanding of the environmental and economic damage the mill’s effluent will cause.”
Community members also expressed their anger at Mr Garrett’s decision to grant Gunns a two year extension to the approval deadline and reminded him of the fact that he refused to carry out any assessment of the impact the logging to feed the mill would have on Tasmania’s native forests, water catchments, biodiversity and climate change.
“Tamar residents and Tasmanian’s as a whole have their personal and business lives on hold while the pulp mill debacle rolls on. By rewarding Gunns’ incompetence with a second extension, Peter Garrett has condemned the community to further uncertainty,” said Mr Oosting.
“The Rudd Government has just failed a second environmental test. First it failed to properly respond to climate change and now it is approving a project that would pollute the air and ocean, destroy vast areas of native forest and create massive levels of carbon emissions.”
“Jodie Campbell must help her government properly understand community concerns around this pulp mill and respond appropriately,” concluded Mr Oosting.
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PREMIER MUST RULE OUT GOVT FUNDING FOR GUNNS’ EFFLUENT …
… After Gay Calls for Government to “Pay the Extra”
Kim Booth MP
Acting Greens Leader
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today called on Premier David Bartlett to rule out granting any Tasmanian Government funding or in-kind support to treat effluent from Gunns’ proposed pulp mill, should treatment be required, following suggestions from Gunns Ltd CEO John Gay that Government should “pay the extra in costs” for any further environmental remediation required for the mill. [1]
Acting Greens Leader Kim Booth MP said Gunns withdrew from the Resource Planning and Development Commission process after their pulp mill application was found to be critically non-compliant and, following the latest rejection of Gunns’ submission on effluent outfall, it is now obvious that the issue of effluent toxicity is still unresolved.
“Premier David Bartlett must immediately reject Gunns’ call for Government to fund any further environmental remediation required by the mill,” said Mr Booth.
“Gunns have had four years to sort out the effluent issues associated with their mill proposal. Their abject failure to do so confirms the public’s worst fears, that the dumping of 64,000 tonnes of daily mill effluent will breach environmental guidelines and poison the waters of Bass Strait.”
“This pulp mill proposal failed to get through the RPDC process and has now failed the Federal Environment Minister’s effluent assessment – it is becoming increasingly obvious that Gunns’ proposed mill cannot meet the environmental standards required of it.”
“Every commercial and recreational fisher in Tasmania should be concerned about the effect the mill effluent will have on the food that they place on their families’ plates.”
“Gunns are a parasitical company that thrives on public subsidy rather than innovation and it is way past time that they stood on their own feet rather than exploiting native forests, managed investment schemes and other public subsidies to prop up what would otherwise be an unviable business,” said Mr Booth.
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[1] “Gunns Say $150M and Jobs On The Line,” Rachael Williams, Saturday Examiner, 3 January 2009, P4.
