Guy Barnett: Bryan Green needs to come clean on Triabunna Mill

Comments made today and yesterday by Opposition Leader Bryan Green stating he was unaware of the destruction of the Triabunna Mill defy belief.

Appearing before a Legislative Council Government Business Scrutiny Committee hearing last December, Mr Green acknowledged he had been briefed by Graeme Wood on the Triabunna Mill site.

“Mr Wood came and briefed us a few days ago to tell us the woodchip mill would not operate in the future.” *

This came after Mr Green was alerted to concerns in 2012 that the owners would try and dismantle the mill, and committed to following up this concern.

In response to a question in Parliament from Mr Shelton on 19 April 2012, Mr Green said:

“No, I am not aware that contractors are dismantling the mill. I will check that. If that is the case that would be very disappointing because we have been given every indication that as we work our way through the Tasmanian forest agreement and achieve an outcome, the mill would be re-opened.” **

We now know courtesy of an article in The Monthly magazine that the Triabunna Mill had been destroyed by mill manager Alec Marr when Graeme Wood briefed Mr Green in late 2013.

It is astounding Mr Green, when told by Mr Wood that the woodchip mill would not operate in the future, would not have followed up to find out whether the mill had been dismantled, as he committed to doing more than a year previously.

By stating that he knew nothing about the destruction of the mill until reading about it in The Monthly, is Mr Green saying he forgot to ask Mr Wood whether the mill had been dismantled, or that he knew enough to decide not to ask Mr Wood the question?

It beggars belief that the former Labor-Green Government did not know of the destruction of the mill, which occurred in breach of their own forestry agreement.

The conflicting statements about who knew about the destruction of the Triabunna Mill highlight the need for the Parliamentary Inquiry I will move to establish this week.

* Bryan Green, Hansard, Legislative Council – Government Businesses Scrutiny Committee – 3 Dec 2013.
** Hansard, House of Assembly – 19 April 2012
Guy Barnett, Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier