Dear George Town Ratepayer/Resident.
WILL THE PULP MILL BRING RICHES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?
As a councillor, representing ratepayers to the best of my ability, I have read extensively, asked questions and listened to both sides of the Pulp Mill debate as well as meeting with many including Mr John Gay and representatives of the builders of the mill John Holland Pty Ltd.
The George Town Council AUTHORISED the Electoral Commission to conduct the poll. The cost would have been very minor if held during the Council Elections as requested by Councillor Bob Wallace. Council management denied this process.
What I have discovered
I believe the Pulp Mill should be opposed in the Tamar for the following reasons:
- There will be NO or few jobs for unskilled workers and no training of apprentices etc.
- Skilled tradesmen (builders, plumbers etc) who serve Tamar Valley residents will be enticed away – your loss.
- Very few maintenance jobs in the first 10 years of the mill – our small industries won’t benefit.
- House rents will increase dramatically – Already approximately 45% of George Town residences are rented.
- After the mill is built house prices will likely FALL as rental properties are dumped and flooded onto the market.
- The builders of the mill have admitted that when they leave they will leave a VOID in our community.
A VOID is a LOSS – YOUR LOSS
The Mill – Too BIG – Wrong PLACE
Please think about Road Safety
With new projects including gas power station and saw-mills etc. adding to the Pulp Mill traffic, our children, general public and visitors are in danger.
Heavily laden and often speeding trucks (we’ve all seen them!) are a poor mix with school buses and inexperienced young drivers going to work/college on main & narrow country roads.
A Road Safety Public Meeting, promised by the George Town Council, hasn’t happened – WHY? Doesn’t anyone care about the human side of the environment?
The Government has stated we should expect trucks to be on the wrong side of the road!! WHY? - yes ask yourself - WHY?
SEE SOME WORRYING FACTS SUPPLIED TO COUNCIL BY MILL BUILDERS – WE ARE WAITING ON RISK ASSESSMENTS
- Extra Trucks 100,000 cubic metres of gravel and sand to be trucked.
- 2000 containers from wharf.
- Millions of litres of chemicals.
- 300,000 tonnes per annum of wood waste to burn.
- As the mill grows – more log trucks.
Have you ever heard anyone promise the chip mills will close?
Will our tourists come in droves to mix with trucks? We have been told to expect extra road deaths!
Riches for Tasmania?
Gunns and the Government say $1billion is available, over the life of the mill, for health, schools etc. That is less than $50million a year over say 20 years.
This will not even cover the cost of roads and bridges built or destroyed by heavy vehicles. No money left over for schools, health care etc as stated.
Farms and Food for Thought!
Food producing farms are set to continue to be turned to tree farming ( subsidised by you the taxpayer! ) upsetting the balance of sustainable agriculture and land use.
Water table levels fall, rivers silt up and we buy potatoes from China!
The Final Word
My sources within Forestry and the Tasmanian Government have declared that for any Pulp Mill to be a success it will require the Tasmanian people, in real terms, to subsidise the project.
NO you won't get rich from this project.
YES your lifestyle will suffer and HAVE you had a chance to voice your opinion?
As your Councillor I will respect the wishes of residents but at this one chance to vote ( my submission with hundreds of others to the RPDC was denied by the governement on the whim of the mill proponents!)
I will be saying:
- NO to the process -
- NO to the type of mill -
- NO to the location and
- YES it will have an adverse social economic and environmental impact.
This is your only and last chance to voice your opinion.
Please vote with your heart, reason & FACTS for the long term benefit of your municipality and family and not for your pocket or the financial gain of others.
Please use your vote wisely.
Regards
Councillor Graeme Neilsen
Phone 0418131876
