Pulp mill and its process to stand as a symbol of how not to do business in Tasmania

The confirmation from Gunns’ receivers that it accepts today’s expiration of permits to build and operate the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill, and will proceed with a sale of the proposed site unencumbered by the permits, is welcome and a testament to the long and drawn out community campaign to protect the Tamar Valley, its environments, amenity and future.

With ongoing controversies over salmon farming in Tasmania, 4WD tracks on the takayna coast, aggressive legislation to progress an offensive cable car on kunanyi/Mt Wellington and politically-driven attempts to log oldgrowth rainforests from within Tasmania’s reserve estate, the demise of the pulp mill stands as a stark monument to a failed modus-operandi.

‘To welcome the final demise of the pulp mill would be the understatement of the last 14 years of campaigns against the mill,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.

‘This news finally gives some certainty to the Tamar Valley and Tasmanian communities and allows them to continue to move-on from the disruption caused by the pulp mill proposal and its corrupted political process.

‘Each and every person who stood up to protect the things they value should be congratulated. This campaign was about protecting clean air, coastal waters, iconic forests, local amenity and due process in Tasmania.

Despite the debacle that was the pulp mill proposal and its corrupted assessment process, corporate interests and Government continue with an aggressive, greedy and destructive agenda to pervert proper process, ignore expert opinion and elevate private, corporate profit over the interests of local communities.

‘Gunns’ Pulp Mill will be remembered as a significant low-point in Tasmania’s governance. Corporate growth trumped community cohesion, a single company and its agenda was deemed too big to fail and community conflict was used as a political tool.
‘While Tasmania is now in a different era, we still have a Government and corporate culture in some sectors that mirrors the failures writ large though Gunns’ pulp mill saga.

‘Compulsorily acquiring public land on an iconic conservation reserve; ignoring community concerns and contemporary science to push fish pens into a pristine east coast waterway; and logging rainforest reserves to progress a political agenda, all echo failed tactics of pulp mill proponents.

‘Tasmanians want to move on from the pulpmill and what it represents. There is much to be learnt from its demise though it seems key people will chose to ignore it.
Vica Bayley, Tasmanian Campaign Manager, The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc.