I attended a community forum meeting with Michael Aird, left, at the Beaconsfield forum on October 4th. When I first decided to move to Tasmania I was told that a lot of Tasmanians only had half a brain. I thought how ridiculous. When I met Mr Aird I found out they were right.
I attended a community forum meeting with Michael Aird at the Beaconsfield forum on October 4th.
The Premier told us these forums were so that their ‘caring’ Government could listen to the community. If that was the instruction given to Aird it was ignored. Everybody I spoke to said that he didn’t listen to what was being said. But he seemed to accept my evidence that the proposed pulp mill would smell on occasions and that up to 120,000 people could be affected.
However, he made absolutely no attempt to assure me that the Government would help in any way whatsoever. As far as he was concerned it was our problem. He did not care. It was a case of dollars and cents with Mr Aird – ordinary people do not count.
Then, amazingly, he inferred that it was our fault we were in this predicament. The industrial area in Bell Bay was bound to have a factory built on it sooner or later he said and we should have taken that into account when we decided to live in the Tamar valley.
I’ve nothing against factories – I’ve lived near a nuclear power station and it didn’t bother me – but I’ve experienced a pulp mill and they are about the most anti-social things going with the pong. I told myself that I would never live near a pulp mill. But then, of course, I’m guilty of thinking that no sane Government would sanction a project likely to stink out a quarter of the population – not if they wanted to be elected again. And I was naïve enough to suppose that a Government would not help a company over-ride its own planning laws to allow such an occurrence. Silly me!
Mr Aird said that he supported what was best for Tasmania. So it’s best for Tasmania that we are seen as stupid and corrupt by the overwhelming majority of Australians? It’s best for Tasmania to destroy our only natural advantage in this competitive World – our clean, green image and natural attractions? It’s best for Tasmania to have riots and protests (if the project gets off the ground) broadcast on news stations all around the World?
When I first decided to move to Tasmania I was told that a lot of Tasmanians only had half a brain. I thought how ridiculous. When I met Mr Aird I found out they were right.
Rod – Tamar Valley
Richard Butler
October 11, 2009 at 09:33
Half a brain ?
Aird must have had a transplant.
Dave Groves
October 11, 2009 at 09:47
Well done Rod for going to the trouble of meeting our elected representative to express your concerns.
The party is the party of course, and they are locked into a paradigm of unwavering support for this proposal that is now a rotting corpse on taxpayer funded life support.
The show rolls on……
Bob McMahon
October 11, 2009 at 13:45
A first rate piece of work, Rod.
pilko
October 11, 2009 at 19:43
When God said brains Aird thought he said trains and missed his. Arrogant prick. No doubt Mr Aird would apply the same standards to himself if heavy industry was being proposed near his house. You know the irony of these pollies describing mill opponents as nimbys is that when push comes to shove these arrogant rich fat cats are probably the biggest nimbies going round. When I lived in Perth W.A and was involved in Triathlons the only areas we recieved complaints and struggled to hold races were in the uber-wealthy areas. Everyone else was happy to have our races and our money in their local communities. Not the silver foxes though. Any small concession to accomodate the presence of others in their gated communities was soooo hard for them.
Scott
October 12, 2009 at 21:16
When I purchased my home in the Tamar Valley, the proposed pulp mill site at Long Reach was called the “Four Mile Creek Wildlife Sanctuary”.
As such, I consider it was quite reasonable to conclude that no stinking, old fashioned Kraft pulp mill would ever be built there!
Steve
October 12, 2009 at 23:14
6; But Scott; didn’t you factor in that one day it might be something else. Sorry, another NIMBY loser!
James
October 13, 2009 at 18:13
Come on guys, leave Aird alone, he truly does care about local issues that impact on us all, even himself.
His concerns are genuine guys.
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/
2009/10/12/102871_tasmania-news.html