A Christian Response to Gunns Proposed Pulp Mill

Dr Andrew Corbett, pastor of the Legana Christian Church has prepared a Christian Response to Gunns Pulp Mill proposal that aimed to reflect the broad Christian community of the Tamar Valley. Extracts from Executive Summary of A Christian Response. * This particular project proposal seems to have been shrouded by a lack of truthfulness and possible lack of integrity. This deeply concerns Christians. * There appears to have been some significant changes to what Gunns had originally proposed which brings into question the integrity of the project. * There is a community perception that this project is more about avarice than sound economic benefit for the State. It is the perception that this avarice will result in widespread degradation of native forests in order to supply this mill. * There is a perception of inappropriate Government interference in the assessment process that has given the additional perception that there is an unwillingness to submit to the appropriate assessment process which brings into question the claim that it is the “greenest pulp mill in the world”. * Based on these concerns we are reluctant to support this mill. Official response from Gunns Dr Corbett writes 'this Christian Response To The Proposed Pulp Mill has been presented to Gunns. At the instigation of a State Parliamentarian (who read this Response shortly after it was published on our website) a meeting between myself and Mr Les Baker, the General Manager of the Gunns Pulp Mill Project was held, Wednesday May 3rd.' 'Mr Baker was dismayed with the main thrust of this Response and urgently wanted to “correct” my “factual errors”. I welcomed the opportunity to speak directly with the man charged by Gunns to make this Pulp Mill a reality.' A number of questions were put by Dr Corbett to Mr Les Baker at the meeting but the final question was – 'How do you respond to my assertions that there has been an apparent lack of truthfulness in this proposal process so far?' Les Baker – ‘Much of the confusion has arisen from a lack of understanding about the approvals and consultation process. The process involves investigation of a mill and its social, economic and environmental impacts and modifying the project over its development to optimise outcomes. It wasn’t until we had done the research and finalised our proposal in our IIS that we could emphatically state exactly what we wanted to build although there is very little difference from what was originally envisaged. I challenge anyone to find any dishonesty within the 9,500 pages of our Integrated Impact Statement.’ Go to http://www.findingtruthmatters.org/articles/pulp-mill for the full 34 page report and Gunns’ response.