Despite opinion polls, Treasurer Gutwein’s fantasies and KordaMentha’s sales attempts, the proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill will never go ahead, the President of TAP Into a Better Tasmania, Mr Tim Thorne, said today. ( Examiner: Pulp mill proposal still divides voters ).
“A mill as proposed would be an economic and environmental disaster. Pushing it has already cost hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of local jobs, so it is clearly time for the project to be abandoned before even more harm is done,” Mr Thorne said.
“There are simply not enough trees unless our old growth native forests are torn up to feed it, and that would mean no Forest Stewardship Council certification, and therefore no customers for the pulp. We would be endangering public health and putting our hospitality, winegrowing, fishing and tourism industries at risk in pursuit of an unrealistic dream that could turn into a nightmare,” he said.
“People are understandably desperate for an increase in employment opportunities, and so any construction project will have some appeal, but what is needed are projects that improve the economic, social and physical wellbeing of the region, not detract from it,” he said.
• Andrea Dawkins: No FSC Means no Social Licence for Pulp Mill
