THE State Government has compulsorily acquired land on the East Tamar earmarked for the Gunns Ltd pulp mill pipeline.
Documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act reveal Gunns has been negotiating with the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources for more than two years for the pipeline to be accommodated in the road reserve for the Dilston Bypass.
The negotiations between DIER and Gunns continued despite Premier David Bartlett’s “line in the sand” statement in July 2008 which indicated an end to Government support.
The documents revealed that the road reserve compulsorily acquired by DIER for the bypass would have to be widened to accommodate the pipeline easement. Gunns wanted DIER to buy the land for the Dilston Bypass to overcome opposition from local landowners.
Farmer Gerald Archer, who owns land on both sides of the East Tamar Highway, had refused to deal with Gunns.
That refusal threatened the pipeline and chances of the
$2.5 billion pulp mill going ahead.
Roads and Traffic general manager Peter Todd emailed Economic Development Tourism and Arts department deputy secretary Jonathon Wood in December, 2007.
“About three weeks ago DIER was approached by Gunns seeking to put their pipeline in a widened road reserve on the Dilston Bypass,” Mr Wood wrote.
“I understand that Gunns saw this as a way to avoid dealing with a number of landowners on this section of the pipeline corridor. Gunns indicated that [it] would pay the cost of purchasing the additional land to enable the pipeline to be installed on a wider road reserve.
“DIER has met with Gunns to discuss and plan how the pipeline might be installed and the additional requirements to accommodate that pipeline.”
In November 2009 DIER compulsorily acquired 11.96ha from Mr Archer for the bypass with a road easement up to 70m wide.
Mr Archer and the Valuer General are negotiating over compensation.
Gunns lost the right for compulsory acquisition on its own behalf when it pulled out of the Resource Planning and Development Commission in March 2007.
Recently DIER spokesman Simon Hiscock told the Mercury the Dilston acquisitions were solely for the purpose of constructing the bypass.
“They are entirely unrelated to the construction of the Gunns pipeline, which is a separate matter for negotiation by Gunns,” Mr Hiscock said.
Gunns chairman John Gay told the firm’s annual meeting last year that all problems with landowner opposition to the pipeline had been overcome.
