Gunns’ Receivers have refused to release critical updated economic analysis of the pulp mill on the basis of the confidentiality of the sale process. This demonstrates an inability to be open with the Tasmanian people and the Parliamentarians they have asked to pass special legislation to kill off community challenge and begs the question –what is there to hide?
As all potential bidders for the pulp mill would have received KordaMentha’s information as part of the marketing of the mill, there would be no impact on the process or ‘achieving the best price reasonably attainable’.. Independent scrutiny of updated analysis is necessary to understand what costs could be borne by the Tasmanian taxpayer should the mill ever be built and, as expected, turn out to be unviable?
‘KordaMentha are hiding behind confidentiality and withholding critical information from the public and Parliamentarians, while asking for more special legislation to be rammed through to kill off community opposition,’ said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.
‘What is there to hide? We don’t know the names of the interested purchasing parties, but we should be able to look at the information they are receiving to understand the assumptions, methodologies and outputs.
‘KordaMentha are asking Parliament to corrupt proper process once again in the interest of big, anonymous business, based on information that is over seven years old.
‘Given there has been a Global Financial Crisis, the collapse of manufacturing in Australia, changes in the global paper market and a range of other factors, these updates are critical to understand what now sits behind any potential pulp mill sale and how much it will cost Tasmania in the future.
‘Any parliamentarian with this next round of dodgy legislation before them should ask the question, why won’t it be put on the public record?’
Vica Bayley Tasmanian Campaign Manager The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc.
