Last year a scholarly tome on what we are currently living through was edited by Dr Fred Gale of the School of Government at UTAS. Entitled Pulp Friction in Tasmania: A review of the environmental assessment of Gunn’s proposed pulp mill it is creditable compilation from 15 academics and covering over 300 pages. (On Tasmanian Times, here)
The book factually details the saga that has all but consumed the social, political, economic and environmental fabric of Tasmania, for a decade … some say longer.
With D-Day approaching tomorrow and continuing controversy over the Forest Peace Talks, it is perhaps worthwhile to cite a few passages from Dr Gale’s Preface in this book.
‘As a powerful member of the National Association of Forest Industries, Gunns sought to influence the direction of the high-level negotiations between environmental and forest industry representatives. As this book goes to press [March 2011], these negotiations have delivered a Statement of Principles that promises to end Tasmania’s decades-long forest conflict.
A key element of the deal is the rapid phase out in the logging of high conservation value forests in exchange for an all-party agreement to establish a pulp mill in Northern Tasmania.
While environmentalists argue that this is not a green light for the construction of Gunns’ Tamar Valley project, the company and the wider forest industry appear to believe otherwise.
…
For many, the acid test of a company [Gunns Ltd] finally and rightly concerned to secure its social licence to practice business in the Tamar Valley will be whether it is prepared to resubmit the proposal to a new, independent and public environmental assessment of the full costs, benefits and impacts. [Fred P. Gale, Senior Lecturer, School of Government UTAS, March 2011]
• ABC Online: No peace deal for Tasmania’s forests:
Long-running talks to strike a peace deal for Tasmania’s forests have failed, with signatories unable to meet today’s deadline for a final agreement.
The industry and environmental groups involved say they need fresh eyes and cannot do it alone.
They have called on the state and federal governments to facilitate a final agreement to reduce the amount of native forest logging in the state.
The groups will not say what the key sticking points are, but say the plan they had almost settled on did not provide enough timber for the industry.
Terry Edwards from the Forest Industries Association says the issues which need sorting out are “significant”.
But Phil Pullinger from Environment Tasmania says failure is not an option.
“We do think that the new set of eyes may help us with some lateral thinking,” he said.
Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings says an agreement is vital to bring hope for the future.
