Coroner & Legal
Lawyers for Forests lose appeal
RACHEL WILLIAMS, Examiner
THE Lawyers For Forests group yesterday lost its appeal to the full bench of the Federal Court against the Federal Government’s approval of Gunns’ pulp mill. Gunns Ltd chairman John Gay yesterday welcomed the dismissal.
Mr Gay said the ruling confirmed that the approval of the $2.2 billion Bell Bay mill was legal.
“We have met the most stringent environmental standards ever imposed on any industrial development in Australia,” Mr Gay said.
“The dismissal shows that the approval process was followed correctly.
“We will continue to progress with building the world’s greenest pulp mill.”
Gunns has been given construction approval but must complete hydrodynamic modelling before the Government will consider signing off on operational permits.
Lawyers For Forests has been ordered to pay the court costs of Gunns and Environment Minister Peter Garrett, which are understood to be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A spokeswoman for Lawyers For Forests could not be contacted for comment yesterday but it has been reported that the group is considering a further appeal to the High Court.
Mr Gay did not say yesterday how the company’s bid for finance or a joint venture partner agreement was proceeding.
Gunns has announced it is in discussion with a preferred partner, understood to be European giant Sodra, but is yet to secure the deal.
It had previously said it would make an announcement months ago.
The company has started minimal site work.
Lawyers For Forests has been fighting against the project’s approval since 2007.
Forests Minister David Llewellyn said the Greens “and their radical supporters” should stop their “endless legal stunts against the pulp mill”.
“The ruling reaffirms that the approval process for the mill is legal and has been followed appropriately,” Mr Llewellyn said.
“These appeals achieve nothing and are simply bloody-minded tactics to try to delay a project that will provide hundreds of jobs for Tasmanians and pump tens of millions of dollars into the Tasmanian economy.”