Gunns Ltd is Australia’s largest forestry company, and one of the biggest in the world. It is proposing to construct a billion dollar Kraft bleached pulp mill, to process wood chips into the fibre board which is used by paper mills for production of paper and cardboard, in north eastern Tasmania. This mill has been approved by the State government in a process which short circuited normal community consultation and environmental impact assessment procedures, and has recently been given Federal government approval.
Green, community, and wilderness conservation groups oppose the construction of the mill. They say it will
- Accelerate the logging of native forest. The mill is based initially on 80% native timber, with only 20% of its inputs coming from plantations.
- Pollute the ocean and air. This affects Bass Straight fisheries, local beaches, and the air quality in a noted wine growing area.
- Consume 26 to 40 billion litres of fresh water per annum, which will double the water consumption of the whole north of the State.
- Contribute significantly to the State’s CO2 emissions. It is powered by the incineration of half a million tonnes of wood each year, as well as using wood chips drawn from the felling of four million tonnes of wood.
The approval process has been characterised by high levels of government interference. Two members of the original panel resigned in protest at government pressure. Gunns asked that the project be fast tracked, and the government reponded by bringing in a new consultant and giving him 5 weeks to assess environmental impact of the mill. Most public input has been blocked, and legislation used to prevent legal challenge to the assessment or procedure. Federal approval touted 24 strict new conditions which the minister had placed on the project, but on closer examination many of these turned out to be either meaningless or in fact weaker than the minimums previously agreed to by the company.
The rally
Australia is about to go to the polls to elect a new federal government. Groups opposing construction of the pulp mill therefore held a rally today in Hobart to raise community awareness of the issue in the context of the vote next weekend. In fact only the Greens and Democrats (minor parties) have promised to halt the project if elected, but it is possible that these parties could hold the balance of power in the Senate and thereby exert enough influence on the new elected government to block the mill.
It was a rainy day, but just the same upwards of 6 thousand people met at Franklin Square to hear speakers explain their views on the mill. I’ve posted a few photos which perhaps explain the gathering rather better than words. One of the side effects of the ongoing assault on Tasmania’s environment by the logging industry is the wonderful community spirit that has grown up in opposition. The atmosphere was friendly and cheerful, despite the weather – and I wish I’d been able to stay to the end because Bob Brown and Richard Flanagan are both excellent speakers.