Economy
Jan Cameron sells Spring Bay mill stake to site co-owner Graeme Wood
PLANS to convert the former Triabunna woodchip mill into a $50 million tourist attraction appear back on track with a dispute between the site’s owners finally resolved.
Jan Cameron yesterday confirmed her stake had been bought by her estranged business partner Graeme Wood.
Work on decommissioning the woodchip mill ground to a halt last month after Ms Cameron and Mr Wood engaged in a pitched legal battle.
It is believed she was less than enthusiastic about a proposal to convert the site into a hotel, education venue, conference centre and botanical garden.
Yesterday Ms Cameron cast doubt on the project’s viability but said she hoped it would succeed.
Mr Wood could not be contacted yesterday, but last month he told a state parliamentary committee he intended to see the project through to completion.
Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Michael Kent said his personal belief was the venture would now go ahead.
“And the quicker the better,’’ Cr Kent said.
He said a rapid resumption of the project should dispel community scepticism, which had been palpable since legal action was started in October.
• Graeme Wood: Getting on with the Spring Bay Mill development “I am pleased that we were able to sort this out given our divergent views on investment in Tasmania,” said businessman Graeme Wood. “We will now continue to finalise our commitments under the Environment Protection Notice. Despite the delays, the decommissioning works are now 95% complete.” “This has been a difficult few months. Our team has had to deal with the delays caused by the Parliamentary Inquiry as well as this legal action.” “I am also very pleased to announce that we’ve partnered with MOFO again this year and will be bringing two world-class music events to Spring Bay Mill and the East Coast in January 2015.” This partnership follows on from the sell-out success of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Quartet in The Tin Shed last January.
• Ted Mead, in Comments: #7 The obvious difference between the Gunns Mill and the Wood’s proposal is that Mr Wood’s investment will be entirely self funding and not reliant upon political cronyism, taxpayer freebee infrastructure, subsidies and planning approval exemptions. Maybe Mr wood doesn’t see this as a profit making exercise and just wants to construct something that fits his ideology – Similar to how Mr Walsh and the Mona concept evolved. The proof is in the pudding! So give him so credit for attempting something different than fiscal woodchip madness!!!!!!
• Pete Godfrey, in Comments: #8 I am with you Ted. I have been to the site and it is an amazing place waiting for the right person to turn it into something special. If Mr Woods wants to spend his money on something inspiring that doesn’t turn a profit, that is his business. What he does with the site can only benefit the people of Tasmania and Triabunna especially. Already there are people working there moving a stinking rotting pile of woodchips off the wharf area; in fact they are removing what was once a valuable forest that provided oxygen, habitat, clean air and rain. The forest was laid to waste and left to compost. Mr Woods project is already supplying jobs, repairing a possibly damaging pollution problem and putting money into the area. Good on him, the more people with money who spend it employing people the better. Turning a profit is not the only reason to do something; we have Mona to point the way there. It seems that every government minister is happy to jump on the bandwagon and claim Mona as theirs somehow; hopefully one day they will say the same of Spring Bay.