Pulp mill referendum call

Ethics & Sustainability Party

MEDIA RELEASE

January 21, 2010

The Tasmanian Division of the Australian Democrats have yesterday called for a referendum on the proposed Gunns Pulp Mill at Bell Bay to be conducted in conjunction with the March 20 Tasmanian state election, as a final opportunity to right the wrongs in the approval process.

However Ethics & Sustainability Party spokesperson, Peter Wilson says that such a referendum would be best conducted once the project has been fully and independently assessed by the Planning Commission (renamed from RPDC). The conclusions of such an assessment would be integral to the average Tasmanian reaching a well-informed opinion on the issue.

The Ethics & Sustainability Party does not oppose development and believes a pulp mill could help build a sustainable pulp and paper industry creating much needed jobs and providing economic stimulus in Tasmania. However any such large-scale development must be fully and independently assessed to reduce risk of unintended major impacts for the immediate surrounds of the pulp mill as well as on the state.

“Regarding the cost of holding such a referendum not in conjunction with the March 20 state election, based on enquiries we have made with the Tasmanian Electoral Commission that would be $170,000 or around $0.50 per Tasmanian elector if conducted as a mailout ballot along the lines of a local council elector poll. If voting were optional, those Tasmanians who still don’t have an opinion would not be required to participate. We consider this a good thing as it would provide a more representative picture of where only the informed and interested Tasmanians’ views are clustered on the Tamar pulp mill issue”, Mr Wilson said.
Peter Wilson Interim Vice-President of Communication Ethics & Sustainability Party http://www.esparty.org