Gunns — Why they will never find a gullible financier

Gunns & the Tasmanian Government—up against international governance issues.

Gunns—Why they will never find a gullible financier.

Exclusion and collusions will stop the still Proposed Pulp Mill.
Gunns Proposed Pulp Mill has come up against a huge brick wall called the Equator Principles. The 10 Principles ( http://www.equator-principles.com/contact.shtml) are aimed at ensuring that large scale projects, financed by international financial institutions are developed in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

Over the last five years Gunns has been able to bully and covertly orchestrate support from all levels of the Tasmanian Government and the opposition, from throughout the whole of the forestry industry, and from a wide range of industry groups – because they are Gunns and their sphere of influence and tentacles reach through out Tasmania.

With few exceptions the media has not provided any detailed or independent reporting on events and milestones as they have occurred or on the very wide range of concerns and issues raised by the community.

The Tasmanian Labor Government was totally complicit in their support of Gunns and their still Proposed Pulp Mill project.

The Tasmanian Government severely and purposely restricted the scope of the project assessment to be undertaken by Gunns and the RPDC.

The Tasmanian Government further reduced the scope of the assessment undertaken by their “independent” consultant Swico-Pic.

The assessments were limited to just the still Proposed pulp mill site, the Trevallyn pumping station and the two pipe line corridors. The Tasmanian Labor government excluded any risk assessment of the wider social, community and environmental aspects of this huge project.

The TasmaniaN government allowed the 780 public submissions to the RPDC to be put aside and with Gunns lawyers in our Parliament put together and “fast tracked” the insidious Pulp Mill Assessment Act.

It is this very range of deceitful and dishonest actions of Gunns and the Tasmanian Government over the last five years that is stopping any international financier accepting this still proposed pulp mill project under the Equator Principles.

In Gunns Pulp Mill Design document—recently submitted to the Tasmanian EPA for consideration and approval. ( See here pages 493: http://www.gunnspulpmill.com.au/permits/Pulp%20Mill%20Design%20Report_Draft%20090609.pdf ) you will see the deceitful statements that have been made. You will also realise that the Tasmanian Governments own process will never meet the Equator Principles. I recently wrote a letter to the Tasmanian EPA strongly suggesting they do not approve this document. ( http://www.tapvision.info/ ).

The only way that the still Proposed pulp mill project will gain Equator Principle recognition is if the PMA Act is rescinded and a strengthened RPDC process is re-started from scratch, with extensive social and environmental assessments being independently undertaken.

John Day
Rowella.