KIM BOOTH, Pulp Mill Still Lacks Finance, Permission to Operate, Full Pipeline Access, and a Social Licence, Friday, 21 Aug
The Tasmanian Greens today described Gunns Ltd’s decision to begin clearing an area of public reserve inside the Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area as an obscene charade, given that Gunns have no finance for their pulp mill project, no access for their pipeline, no federal permission to dump effluent in Bass Strait, and no social licence to build their toxic and divisive pulp mill.
Greens Pulp Mill spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the Labor and Liberal parties, who voted to excise part of the Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area in 2007 on Gunns’ behalf, should hang their heads in shame as the chainsaws move onto land that should still be a public reserve.
“This beautiful public reserve is set to be destroyed by Gunns for a pipeline to a pulp mill project that is in complete limbo with no financial backing, huge community opposition, and no Federal permission to use the pristine waters of Bass Strait as a dump for 64,000 tonnes of toxic effluent every day of the year,” said Mr Booth.
“This is nothing more than a charade to convince the market that Gunns are actually starting work on their pulp mill proposal.”
“What a fitting first step for the pulp mill – bulldozing a public reserve for a pipeline that has no access, to a pulp mill that has no finance and no permission to operate.”
“The decision by Labor and Liberal to excise a public reserve on behalf of Gunns Ltd should be condemned by all.”
“The Greens will continue to support the community in their opposition to this perfidious proposal, and to expose the cowardice of the Labor and Liberal parties who have trampled over the rights of ordinary Tasmanians in their rush to give Gunns Ltd everything it wants,” said Mr Booth.
Background:
Dear All
We have just received confirmation from Graham Wilkinson of the Forest Practices Authority (FPA) that Gunns have a certified Forest Practice Plan (FPP) for the clearance of vegetation within the area of the Trevallyn Reserve (but not actually the reserve proper as this area was excised from the reserve in November 2007 and is now designated a public reserve Crown lands Act 1976 – see excerpt of Hansard below)
The FPP is not the only permission Gunns has to have in place. They also need a Flora Offset plan for the area which must be signed off by the EPA.
We are awaiting a reply from both the FPA and the EPA as to whether sign off on the Flora Offset plan has occurred.
Due to the fact that Gunns clearing of the area is now imminent we thought it important that the NPMA was aware and that any plans as to how to react to clearance should be prioritised as the activity looks about to happen.
The area is not private land but a public reserve administered by the Department of Parks and Wildlife (State)
More details on the area and status below.
The area that was excised and which Gunns now have for their pipeline is in two lots (see Hansard below from Minister Llewellyn October 30 2007)
“The area to be revoked is made up of two sections, one running from the shores of Lake Trevallyn to the Lake Trevallyn Road, and that is 1.098 hectares, and the second from Lake Trevallyn Road to Reatta Road, 2.711 hectares…
The area to be revoked is to be used for the construction of part of the water supply pipeline and balancing tank for the pulp mill to be constructed at Long Reach in the Tamar Valley. The area to be revoked is the minimum necessary to allow for the construction of the water supply pipeline and balancing tank. The Parks and Wildlife Service has recommended that the conservation status of the site be revoked because the construction of such infrastructure within a nature recreation area is not consistent with the nature recreation area’s management objectives as set out in the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002.
Once revoked, the land will remain crown land and will be declared a public reserve under the Crown Lands Act 1976, as the management objectives of such a reserve are sufficiently broad to cover the construction of infrastructure such as that proposed. The declaration of the area as a public reserve will ensure that the ongoing management of the land continues in a manner consistent with the surrounding nature recreational area. The Parks and Wildlife Service has agreed to continue to manage the area to be revoked from the Trevallyn nature recreation area…”
Cheers
Jeremy
On behalf of Kim Booth
Jeremy Ball
Executive Assistant to Kim Booth MP
