We are deeply concerned …

Joint Statement to the Parliament and people of Tasmania from non-government organisations attending an international meeting on Stopping Irresponsible Investment in Pulp and Paper Mills organised by the Environmental Paper Network (EPN & EEPN)

Heemskerk, the Netherlands
27th January 2014

We are deeply concerned by the re-emergence of the Gunns pulp mill project in Tasmania, Australia for well documented environmental and social reasons.

We have been informed and are dismayed to learn of the efforts being made in Tasmania to revive this project, and of the secrecy surrounding the bidders for Gunns’ assets, including the Permit to build and operate the pulp mill.

This pulp mill project was never able to satisfy environmental assessment procedures, was withdrawn from the formal assessment process when the company was informed that they were not compliant with the environmental requirements, and instead a fast track approval via the Tasmanian Parliament overrode due process. The right of citizens to be heard and for environmental and social problems to be exposed and rigorously examined was denied.

An undertaking eventually made by Gunns Ltd to utilise only plantation resource for this project was unilateral and is not a condition on the Permit. Hence we also fear that this may lead to the use of native forest as feedstock for the mill by a different proponent, possibly including forests assessed and agreed as high conservation value.

Further, we are puzzled that the Tasmanian Parliament would intervene to negate a legal judgement on the continued validity of the pulp mill Permit.

We are also concerned to learn that the Tasmanian Parliament and people of Tasmania have no knowledge of which companies are to potentially benefit from the enactment of the proposed Doubts Removal Bill, and that the new law would allow the transfer of the Permit to any company, no matter their environmental, social or financial reputation.

Buyers and investors should be aware of the potential environmental and social risks connected to the Gunns pulp mill project.

This statement is issued by 28 NGOs attending from Asia, Europe, North and South America and Australia, including Global Forest Coalition, Rainforest Action Network, Global Witness, ECA Watch Austria, BankTrack, Markets For Change, Quercus – ANCN, Buy Responsibly Foundation, and Friends of the Siberian Forests Russia.
28 NGOs