Gunns can’t start building, says lawyer

Senator Bob Brown
Contrary to the assurance to Gunns from Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the Greens have released legal advice that the construction of Gunns’ pulp mill cannot begin before all issues affecting threatened and migratory species have been assessed.

Subject: Greens: Legal advice: Gunns cannot start pulp mill construction

Greens: Legal advice: Gunns cannot start pulp mill construction

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown

8 January 2009

Contrary to the assurance to Gunns from Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the Greens have released legal advice that the construction of Gunns’ pulp mill cannot begin before all issues affecting threatened and migratory species have been assessed.

This, in turn, requires the hydrodynamic modelling of mill effluent pouring into Bass Strait to be completed.

The advice was provided to Tasmanian Greens Senator Christine Milne by Bleyer Lawyers and released today by Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown (click here http://greensmps.org.au/files/Advice%20re%20pulp%20mill%20construction.pdf for the advice).

“The advice states that “pre-construction, all issues associated with any listed threatened and migratory species must be addressed”. It means that the impact on threatened and migratory species like the Australian Grayling fish, White-bellied Sea-eagle and (because the effluent will flush beyond Bass Strait), the Blue Whale must be completed first. This has not been done,” Senator Brown said.

“Schedule 2 of the pulp mill approval conditions also states that all issues associated with protection of the marine environment must be addressed before the mill is commissioned.

“The Deputy Prime Minister got it wrong,” Senator Brown said.