For those living in Hobart, or with Hobart-based contacts, please consider supporting the film night scheduled for the 29th November, and spreading the word.
Also don’t forget that Gunns AGM is on Thursday 25th November and an action is being planned with all groups opposed to the mill involved. It’s really important to have as many people there as possible – given that many people who would like to be there, can’t be due to their necessity of earning a crust.
On Wednesday 1st December Friends of the Tamar Valley are hosting a public meeting at the Tailrace at Riverside, from 7.30pm. Several well-credentialled speakers will be reminding us all of the still unassessed risks associated with the pulp mill, as well as reminding politicians of all persuasions, the media – and Gunns – that the proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill will never have a social licence from the community. Expect to see promotional material about this meeting in your letterboxes, and on noticeboards soon.
This is also the advice, received in person yesterday, from a certain well known veteran of environmental campaigns, Tasmanian Senator, and Greens leader. Bob Brown’s stand-out message for everyone opposed to the mill (no matter where they live in the country) is to really hammer the fact it will never receive a social licence. Despite Greg L’Estrange’s attempts to make it seem so, the forestry statement of principles isn’t relevant in relation to the mill, and the media’s selective reportage does not in any way endorse public approval for the mill – no matter how many times they spin it.
Interestingly, Bob Brown also encouraged mill opponents to target Victoria’s media (especially radio) given the state election there is due in a couple of weeks. Victoria is facing a comparable battle with their deeply unpopular desal plant, http://www
.theage.com.au/victoria/police-deal-crucial-to-desal-goahead-20101011-16g03.html
that is being rammed through in the teeth of community disquiet. Federal environment minister Tony Burke took a leaf from Garrett’s book (Bob Brown’s analogy) by announcing federal approval for this “at 4.50pm on a Friday”.
Bob’s suggestion then is to phone radio stations, (and write letters, emails etc – a letter in the Age is akin to gold apparently) posing the question about the imminent federal decision due to be given to the final three marine modules, and will these also receive a Friday-5pm-approval.
‘No Social Licence’ needs to be the message sent to all federal politicians – especially to those Greens senators due to take up their posts next July.
Wherever Bob Brown goes around the country, he is asked questions about the mill. Australians everwhere are interested, so it’s really important the no social licence message is reiterated loud & clear at every opportunity.
Please mark all these dates in your diaries, support as many events as you can, and tell your Tasmanian-based contacts to do the same.
Many thanks
Anne
Subject: Pulp the Mill update
Dear Friends,
As you may have heard, about 40 members of Pulp the Mill assembled on the pulp mill site on Sunday 31st October, braving the rain (which miraculously cleared when we arrived) and the potential for Gunns to sue us for trespassing.
Our message was “NO TAMAR VALLEY PULP MILL EVER” as Gunns’ new CEO, Greg L’Estrange has been telling the financial world that the new Forest Principles had given a green light for the pulp mill. We felt that it was important for us to act quickly in response to Mr. L’Estrange’s strange ideas, and apologise to all who would have liked to join us but were not able to be contacted.
To our initial surprise and great relief, Gunns had advised the police not to arrest us, so after doing interviews with media, we all walked along the gravel road through eucalypt and she-oak forest and onto the site to have a closer look. We were astounded by the massive scale of the clearing, the close proximity to houses and properties on the western bank of the Tamar River, as well as the fact that the north-east gale which was buffeting us would blow the toxic stench of the pulp mill straight into Launceston.
Several photos are attached from the day.
Now that we know that Gunns’ is unlikely to have us arrested for our peaceful presence on the site of their proposed pulp mill, we shall have to imagine what to do next!
PULP THE MILL- FILM FUNDRAISER: We are screening the documentary, “A Worm in the Apple” by David Leigh at the State Cinema, 375 Elizabeth St, North Hobart on Monday 29th November at 8.30 pm.
This brilliant documentary (a new release this year) , highlights the corrupt process behind the assessment of Gunns’ proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill and the people’s fight for democracy.
Andrew Wilkie, Independent Member for Denison and Roland Browne (Pulp the Mill’s lawyer) will speak before the film. After the screening, you will hear from the film’s creator, David Leigh and a campaign update from Lucy Landon-Lane, Pulp the Mill’s Spokesperson.
Cost: $20.00. Tickets can be purchased from the State Cinema Box
Office: Ph 03 6234 6318
or email [email protected]
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Gunns’ AGM; 10am, 25th November, Boathouse, Lindsay St. Launceston.
There will be a protest outside the AGM so please come along.
All anti-mill groups will be there and we can supply our “PULP MILL CORRUPTION” and “NO SOCIAL LICENCE” placards.
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Friends of the Tamar Valley are hosting a “No Pulp Mill” Public Meeting at the Tailrace Centre, Riverside at 7.30pm on Wednesday 1st December.
This will be a significant community event and seating for up to 700 has been booked.
Speakers will include Peter Cundall, Jeremy Ball and Dr. Warwick Raverty.
Advertising for this event will go into full swing in a few weeks and volunteers will be greatly appreciated for leaflet drops and A4 poster distribution in the Launceston and East, West Tamar areas as well as for other small jobs.
Donations to assist in the cost of the event will also be greatly appreciated.
If you can assist, please contact Anna and Rick Pilkington on H -6394 3815
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Parliament House #2 Action Court Hearing Peter Cundall and Molly Taylor will appear before the Hobart Magistrate’s Court again at 10am, 14th December.
The Solicitor General will appear in court as well, and we anticipate that the hearing will take half a day.
All supporters greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Pulp the Mill Working Group.
CRC for Forestry Public Seminar – Tasmania’s forest industry 2010:
Trends in forest industry employment and turnover 2006-2010
All those who care about Tasmanian jobs and forests go along and ask the challenging questions about the assumptions underlying the CRC research.
In particular, the fact that that the reported work done so far has been extremely contentious due to the extrapolation of West Australian land-use assumptions into the Tasmanian landscape, which are obviously very different geographies and communities.
Public Seminars
The CRC for Forestry is conducting public seminars presenting the results of new research on the extent and impact of the recent downturn in the Tasmanian forest industry.*
Seminars will be conducted in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie as follows:
Hobart – Wednesday November 10 2010, 3.30-5.00pm.
Centenary Lecture Theatre (Centenary Building), Grosvenor Crescent, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay.
Burnie – Thursday November 11 2010, 12.00-1.30pm.
Room D201 (Building D), Mooreville Road, University of Tasmania, Burnie.
Launceston – Thursday November 11 2010, 5.30-7.00pm.
Lecture Theatre 9, (Faculty of Arts building), Newnham Drive, University of Tasmania, Newnham.
* interestingly at the International Psychology Conference held in Melbourne during July, and according to a psychologist working with the CRC conducting this research, the assumption was that the community had been engaged.
Apparently this “engagement” involved “looking at Letters to the Editor in local papers”, which in turn assumes Tasmania’s media, (or media anywhere) actually presented the reality!*
For more information please download seminar flyer:
