A Better Australia and TAP conducted two workshops with approximately 120 members to plan strategies to stop the pulp mill.
Sorted outputs from TAP/ A Better Australia presentations on 21 Jan 2008
What concerns does audience have for the future?
Social issues
- Ignorance & apathy of public
- Disempowerment of the young
- Lack of education & political education for our young
- Fragmentation of community into dysfunctional nuclear families
- Dysfunctional entrenched political thinking
- Insanity
- Loss of jobs to overseas call centres
- Lack of engagement in political process
- Lack of engagement in local government process
- Inability to distinguish between needs and wants
- Poor understanding of power of vote (not enough Green votes??)
Unrealisable expectation
- Exponential growth
Failing systems
- Lack of public transport
- Disempowerment of teachers
- Dysfunctional media from community perspective
Results of poor policy
- Erosion of democracy
- Too much ‘made in China’ not enough ‘made in Australia’
- Health service degradation
- Breakdown of viable careers into short term contracts
- Biases created by tax policies
- No rewards for good long-term thinking
- Lack of balance
Quality of environment
- Pollution and effects of herbicides
Information systems
- Degradation of ABC
Threats
- Genetic modification and risks
- Corporate greed
- Rising prices
Political and governance issues
- Paul Lennon retiring on public money
- Lack of political accountability
- Lobbying asymmetry
Survival
- Lack of self sufficiency/sustainability – personal, regional, national, cultural and moral
What people would like to have in a better future?
Ecology
- Application of ecological wisdoms to natural and ‘human’ ecosystems
- Clean, green Tasmania
- Fresh air, clean water
- Tasmania as ‘Noah’s Ark’ for self sufficiency
Human affairs
- Happiness should be a major goal
- Create a charter of rights for all citizens
- Create friends instead of terrorists
- Participatory democracy in communities of interests
- Hold social justice as a common good
- Create/engage in meaningful work
- Explore different economic models
- Respond to global needs
- Remove barriers to information
- Query big/growth is good mindset
- Develop sustainable societies
- Caring communities, countries and world
- Involve local communities
- Spiritual society using moral values including ecological
- Local, interest free currency systems
- Conserve energy
- Deal with sound pollution (sensory privacy)
- More individual self sufficiency
- Create a first class health system for everyone
Energy
- Use distributed energy systems
Governance
- Restrict defence forces to defence activities
- Abolish two party system – back to democracy
- Use citizen created referenda
- Trade in a politician/foreign exchange scheme
- Rotate parliament like jury duty with ordinary citizens
- Ban corporate sponsorships of political parties
- Priorities that include education
- Re-evaluate arson & corporate arson
- Consistent laws around Australia Plan for 30 – 50 years, not just parliamentary cycle
- Assure base income for all citizens
- Restrict alcohol to those over 21 yrs
Resources
- Locally produced, in season, fresh foods and produce
- Buy Australian/Tasmanian
Global
- Dismantle atomic energy plants
Notes from TAP meeting, 2008-02-22
What do you stand to lose if this mill goes ahead?
- Water
- Health
- Livelihood and life savings / income
- Wildlife and sea creatures
- Northern Tasmania as we know it
- Democratic processes
- Recreational pursuits
- Safe roads
- Tourism industry
- Food production
- Fresh air
- Forests
Who do you trust?
- Who trusts the Lennon Govt?
- Who trusts Gunns?
- Who trusts Peter Garrett?
Who can stop the mill?
Banks / financiers
- Why?
- Too risky (project or economic climate)
- Not making money from project
- Losing other customers
Gunns
- Lose their subsidies
- Loss of feedstock
- Board members can vote against it
- Loss of reliable water supply
- Competition – world market / profitability
- Gunns contractors – let them know the consequences for their future business
Government – State
- Lennon leaves
- Lennon compromised, loses support / power
Government – Federal ** preferred strategy **
- Whistleblowers – forced Royal Commission.
- Project is against Rudd Government’s national goals and targets – eg Greenhouse/Global Warming
- If took a proper look at project and discovered the inadequacies
- Government feels more expensive to keep paying Gunns subsidies than to stop it now.
- Gunns may not meet Chief Scientist’s requirements
- Impact on economy – present a positive alternative?
- Mass of mobilised public opinion
Others Raised
- Workers – people building the mill
- Courts
- Treasury
- International treaties