By Mike Bolan. Published 22 June 2010 on www.tasmaniantimes.com
If someone wanted to damage you, your property, your lifestyle, your future and/or your business how would you feel about it if they also expected you to pay them to cause the damage?
Unenthusiastic? Hostile?
That’s basically why so many Tasmanians oppose forestry as it’s conducted here.
Pulp and paper expert Dr Warwick Raverty, reached the “sad conclusion that Gunns is not a fit and proper company to build a pulp mill anywhere” in Tasmania (14 March 2007). That conclusion is supported by the pdf documentIs Gunns Ltd Reliable?, a record of nearly 200 statements from CEO John Gay and Gunns Ltd, and State and Federal governments relating to the planned pulp mill in the Tamar Valley.
Its purpose is to help potential investors assess Gunns' competence to build and operate one of the largest pulp mills in the southern hemisphere. It illustrates the political, economic and project risks for investors in Gunns' proposal.
The statements have been collated by TAP Research from media reports, documentaries and publications from 2004 to the present and are hyperlink referenced for easy checking. It will be updated periodically as new evidence emerges.
Please send your message to Mr Rudd to say no to the pulp mill and that you want to protect forests for our climate and future generations - not pulp them for short-term profit. Go to online petition
“Private discussions between environmentalists and forest industry groups to solve conflict over logging in the State are doomed to fail if the wide-ranging concerns of the public are not considered”, said John Day, spokesman for the community group TAP Into A Better Tasmania.
The proposed forestry roundtable to thrash out a way forward for the industry in Tasmania has been sidelined in favour of private talks between environmentalists and the timber sector.
“Environmentalists do not speak for communities hit by aerial spraying, lost jobs in food production, depleted water supplies, and many other impacts from the way forestry is currently practised”, John Day said.
“The fibre plantation wood supply for the proposed pulp mill is a major land use and imposes a huge burden on many for the benefit of a few”, he continued.
“A full independent risk assessment with community input is essential and must include the costs and impacts of all plantations on the Tasmanian people, public subsidies and the ability of the Government to fund basic essential services”, he said.
For further information contact:
TAP Into A Better Tasmania spokesman, John Day
“There will be no social licence for a pulp mill and its fibre plantation wood supply while the public continues to be excluded from the Round Table discussions and continues to carry the huge burden of uncosted impacts on health, water and jobs”, said John Day, spokesman for the community group TAP Into A Better Tasmania.
“The public is appalled that Geoffrey Cousins, Senator Brown and the Wilderness Society can somehow offer Gunns a ‘social licence’ in exchange for a particular type of pulp mill. This way of solving the issue is as badly flawed as the government’s one-sided benefits-only assessment of the pulp mill,“ he continued.
“Any proposal for a pulp mill anywhere must have a full independent risk assessment with community input. The assessment must include the costs and impacts of its plantation wood supply on the Tasmanian people, public subsidies and the ability of the Government to fund basic essential services first,” he said.
He went on, “Forestry is a major land use and imposes a huge burden on many for the benefit of a few. The people - rural communities, tourism businesses and many others - are suffering from stress and continued uncertainty, burn-off smoke and aerial spraying, lost jobs in tourism, depleted water supplies, and many other impacts from the way forestry is currently practised”.
“A pulp mill will cement in the burden of plantations over huge areas of the State and lock in the State to booms and bust of the global commodity cycles”, Mr Day said.
“There will be no social licence for a pulp mill and forestry while the public continues to carry the burden for the benefit of a few and remains excluded from the discussions.”
For further information contact:
TAP Into A Better Tasmania spokesman, John Day
TAP Into A Better Tasmania welcomes Mr. Gay’s retirement as an opportunity to replace an outdated modus operandi with a more enlightened and acceptable approach to forestry and fibre plantations business. This is essential if the company is ever to achieve its much desired “social licence”.
TAP Into A Better Tasmania does not endorse the gushing valedictions of Mr. Lennon, the Labor Government, the Liberal opposition and a range of Forestry Industry spokesmen in recent statements about Mr Gay’s contribution to Tasmania.
The positive initial growth of the company and the industry has been totally destroyed by the debts hanging over the industry, the contractors and the investors. Tasmanians also have not been able to accept the wilfull waste that has occurred for years in our forests or the decimation of our bio-diversity and the destruction of our farmlands and communities by this industry.
Community concerns have not been considered, or have been sidelined; government promises have been repeatedly broken; as have alternative views or warnings, together with an industry wide failure to recognise changing market demands. Forestry Tasmania and the industry are, as a result, in a very poor condition to face the future.
It has been almost six years since the pulp mill project was first mooted and opposition to the project itself and the debauched manner of its procurement is as strong as ever. This is unlikely to change until true common ground is found between the community, the Government, the industry and the company.
Community members are still under considerable duress because uncertainty still surrounds the project and they do not have the confidence or will to grow or, in some cases, continue their businesses. They are unable to live their lives unfettered while there is a possibility that this still-proposed project could be commenced at any time.
Successive Labor Governments supported by the Liberal Party have blindly provided justifications, support, and subsidies for the still-proposed project. No company or industry should receive so much assistance, at the expense of providing basic public services to all Tasmanians. All assistance to industries or companies should be subject to an independent and fully holistic review before undertakings are given.
TAP Into A Better Tasmania recognises that the Forestry Round table is a generational opportunity to rebuild values, transparency and of course set up the industry for the future growth in opportunities for jobs and businesses. As well as Industry and Environmental representation, it is imperative that community groups have a direct input and equal say at the Round Table.
Community groups are concerned about the long term resource management values that government, Forestry Tasmania and the industry must adopt; to minimise the adverse effects on communities as it faces the current position and as it changes to meet future opportunities and challenges. All Tasmanians must be able to benefit without favour from our forest and fibre plantation resources, and we should be assisting those who want to progress all types of businesses and enterprises.
The community is concerned that:
• The proposed Forestry Round Table include direct community input) must start by undertaking an audit of all the existing aspects; including financial, subsidies and support, forest management and practices, planning approvals of our forestry related resources and timber processing and manufacturing industry. It must establish what demand and type of opportunities are available for our forest resource and industries, in Tasmania and in the world wide market place. This will require far more skills and input than the forestry industry representatives and environmental groups can provide. Plus there must be a community input. Only then can the impact, benefit and the financial and business opportunities be evaluated, to successfully plan for the future. Without this holistic approach, the successful future and true sustainable growth of our forest related industries and the innovation potential of all Tasmanian will not be realised. Conflict will continue. This process could be undertaken and completed within 12 months.
• $2billion worth of processed timber is already being imported into Australia each year. It is cheaper to buy overseas timber from our local hardwood stores than local timber. Almost all processed timber products (ply, mdf, beams, flooring, doors and window frames) are supplied from imported processed timber. Why is this when our forestry and timber industry receives huge grants and subsidies?
• “Common ground” - legal, moral and for all benefits must be provided equally for all Tasmanians now and in the future.
• Complete revision of management practices of our forests, short and long term, to ensure true long term sustainability, in every respect.
• Establishment of an open tendering scheme for the use of all forest resources.
• Additional fibre and timber plantations must receive planning approval taking into account council and community concerns, viability of regional community and services, water resources, bio- diversity, smoke generation, road and traffic conditions protection of food production land and landscape values.
• Future Government and industry policy, all development proposals, management and work practices must be based upon the Equator Principles and Forest Stewardship Council guidelines.
• All Ministers, Government departments, government businesses and authorities, to establish a public register of all matters raised by the community. This would register concerns, questions and complaints, with answers provided within 30 days on the public register.
• Establishment of a register of all purchases, stock holding, usage and disposal of all hazardous chemicals to be held by users and the government.
• To ensure that the establishment of the Integrity Commission is not delayed or diluted in anyway.
If the Government, the industry and the environmental groups proceed with the Round Table without direct community input, then another generation of polarisation and opposition will certainly ensue.
Contact for comment - John Day
TAP Into A Better Tasmania said news today of Gunns Ltd’s 99 per cent profit slump will add further pain to workers throughout the Tasmanian woodchip industry, and worsen the plight of an already crippled sector.
It is now revealed that despite the best efforts of Tasmania’s Primary Industries Minister David Llewellyn, and the State Labor government, to sell woodchips cheaply, little has been achieved to alleviate timber workers’ job security and Gunns’ financial woes.
Gunns’ troubles will be compounded with the closures of its chip mills in Triabunna and Long Reach (Bell Bay) after Easter. (See ABC
‘Gunns have gambled the future of the company, and the livelihoods of all its employees, for a pulp mill pipedream’ said TAP spokesman, Bob McMahon.
‘Gunns has locked itself into an unsustainable woodchip mindset fed by the reckless dream of an unaffordable and unpopular mill’.
‘With only a $400,000 profit and share price at a 10-year low, Gunns would find it difficult to buy an average-priced home in Hobart, let alone be financially capable of building a $2.5 billion pulp mill,’ said Mr McMahon.
With vastly diminishing local jobs estimates, massive job shedding at Gunns, public subsidies in the hundreds of millions, and the enormous economic risk the project poses - not only to Gunns’ shareholders, but also to the wider Tasmanian economy - the pulp mill project must be put to death once and for all.
‘Why should innocent Tasmanians and our economy continue to be dragged along with this mess?’, said Mr McMahon.
‘Both the market and the public have lost confidence in Gunns. It is now in the grip of financial death throes, and only a miracle, or a massive subsidy from David Bartlett, can save Gunns now,’ he said.
Recent media reports have revealed Gunns’ financial problems include requiring public funds to pay for pulp mill pipeline infrastructure, being unable to find markets for its woodchip stockpiles, and a need for major redundancies to remain solvent.
Gunns’ shares peaked at $4.45 on 4 January 2005. Shares closed on Thursday 26th February 2010 at below 60 cents a share.
The safety of Launceston’s and the Tamar Valley’s drinking water is seriously compromised warns TAP Into A Better Tasmania.
‘If we could issue a HEALTH ALERT we would’, said TAP spokesperson Bob McMahon, ‘Every parent, every mother, should be worried about the water that their child is drinking and the water that they swim or bathe in.’
The program, ‘Australian Story’ (ABC TV), has revealed that serious health and cancer problems exist wherever monoculture eucalypt plantations are grown near drinking water catchments on the east coast. (See Something in the Water - Part 2 )
‘The water catchment for Launceston and the Tamar Valley is arguably the most degraded large catchment in the state. The siltation of the Tamar Basin is one symptom of that degradation’ said McMahon.
Launceston derives approximately 70% of its water from the St Patricks River, 20% from the North Esk and 10% from the South Esk. The West Tamar water is 100% sourced from the South Esk.
‘I estimate that roughly 50% of the upper catchments of all these rivers have been clear-felled and converted to e. nitens (Eucalypt) plantations, much of which was destined for the Gunns proposed pulp mill,’ stated Bob McMahon.
‘Given the preliminary findings by Dr Alison Bleaney and Dr Marcus Scammell of toxic contaminants in the Georges River derived from the plantation trees themselves, it is critical that a comprehensive independent scientific study be done of Launceston’s and the Tamar Valley’s water.’
The area of the Launceston catchment under plantations is much greater than the Georges River catchment.
It is no longer acceptable to pretend there is not a catastrophe in the making. If toxic water is found in the Launceston and Hobart catchments, apart from public health issues, it would also prove to be disastrous to the bottled water and beverage industry.
The potential loss of the ‘Brand Tasmania’ image could cost millions in lost revenue.
It is critically important that the councils in this valley claw back planning powers that have been abrogated by the state government and Forestry Tasmania.
A nation that cannot safeguard its water supplies is a nation hell bent on suicide,” concluded McMahon.
TAP Into A Better Tasmania calls on Minister for Infrastructure Graeme Sturges, to tell the Tasmanian community, especially those who live in the Tamar Valley, exactly what his Department knew in relation to the water pipeline for Gunns proposed pulp mill, and the Dilston Bypass.
‘The Department for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources has been prominent in its dealings with Gunns, providing a $240,000 gift from the public purse to the company for a pipeline culvert, and what appears to be another gift of compulsorily acquired land for its pipeline,’ said Bob McMahon, spokesman for TAP.
‘To date Minister Sturges has been conspicuous by his absence, but clearly there are some serious questions to be answered about this pipeline, and as the person responsible for his department he should not be shirking behind David Llewellyn,’ Mr McMahon said.
‘The pulp mill remains nothing more than a private company’s proposal, with no certainty of funding, yet Tasmanian taxpayers are being duped into paying for infrastructure for a non-existent and controversial project, when our roads, schools, hospitals and railway services are crumbling for lack of funds,’ he said.
Graeme Sturges met with Dilston residents and received a number of briefings about their concerns throughout last year.
Recent emails obtained under FOI highlight DIER’s complicity in the pulp mill pipeline, despite Premier David Bartlett declaring 18 months ago no further State Government support would be given to the pulp mill proposal.
DIER and mill supporters have previously denied links between the Dilston Bypass, and the water pipeline for the proposed pulp mill.
TAP Into A Better Tasmania today condemned the theft of private farmland through compulsory acquisition, to facilitate the construction of the water pipeline for Gunns Ltd’s proposed pulp mill.
Media reports today claim Gunns, and Department of Infrastructure and Energy Resources staff acting on behalf of Minister Graeme Sturges, have done secret deals for at least the past two years.
Gunns’ plan to run the pulp mill pipeline within an expanded easement, created at public expense, parallel to the Dilston Bypass and the East Tamar Highway.
This is despite assurances made by Premier David Bartlett in July 2008 that a ‘line in the sand’ had been drawn for Gunns’ proposed mill, and no further government assistance would be given to support the project.
‘Backdoor Backflip Bartlett’ has lived up to his name by saying one thing and doing another. When Gunns whistle, Bartlett jumps. In this case to provide a controversial pipeline across valuable farmland,’ said TAP spokesman Tony Saddington.
Plans to build the Dilston Bypass were heavily promoted by Liberal MP for Bass Peter Gutwein, Legislative Councillor for Windermere, and Launceston City Councillor Ivan Dean, and former federal MP for Bass Michael Ferguson, now a Liberal candidate for the March 20 State election. All support the controversial pulp mill proposal.
‘David Bartlett is on record stating no land will be compulsorily acquired for the pipeline. This is robbery by stealth, and it’s being financed by taxpayers because Gunns can’t afford to build it,’ said Mr Saddington.
‘Labor and Liberal plotted to corrupt the legislative process in the Tasmanian Parliament’ stated TAP Into A Better Tasmania spokesperson Bob McMahon.
‘And they succeeded.’
‘Despite many public statements accusing Gunns of substantially drafting its own legislation to assess its pulp mill (Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007), the latest by Peter Cundall, neither Gunns nor its fellow travellers in the Labor Government and the Liberal Party have denied the accusation,’ asserted McMahon.
‘Their silence confirms their guilt.’
‘All these parties determined to effect a coup d’etat by conniving in the corruption of Parliament and the corruption of due process in Tasmania,’ asserted McMahon.
‘Gunns was to draft the legislation with passing reference to the public service to put a gloss of legitimacy upon it. It then shot through Parliament at the speed of light and came out the other end with a wholly predictable rubber stamp.’
‘For those who have wondered why the Pulp Mill Assessment Act is so obscenely favourable to Gunns, especially Section 11 which denies the public access to its own legal system for redress from pulp mill impacts, it is because they wrote it.’
‘Furthermore, prior to the Gunns wholly predictable withdrawal from the RPDC in March 2007, the full resources of the public service were made available to Gunns for the drafting of their proposed pulp mill Integrated Impact Statement and related work.’
‘Putting aside the legality of a government subverting public institutions for the benefit of a company, at what cost to the Tasmanian public did those hundreds, perhaps thousands of working hours devoted to supporting the Gunns’ bottom line come?’ asked McMahon.
‘We are going through a tragic time in the history of Tasmania and it is only possible to press the restart button if the PMAA is repealed. The stench of corruption surrounds that document like road kill on a hot day,’ concluded McMahon.
In the lead up to the State election, TAP will target those politicians who were party to the subversion of parliament and the legislative process. TAP’s aim is to force politicians to answer for their corrupt actions.
“Highly confidential information was made available to TAP on the evening of November 10th,” stated TAP spokesperson Bob McMahon.
“The information throws up the following serious questions,” continued McMahon.
Why has Bartlett allowed work to begin on the pulp mill site when permit concerns were raised with the EPA last July?
TAP Into A Better Tasmania expressed outrage today that community concerns have again been disregarded by Tasmania's State Government.
Questions about the permit conditions for Gunns Ltd's proposed Pulp Mill were raised with the Environmental Protection Authority over three months ago, but continue to remain largely unacknowledged by David Bartlett.
The legality of land clearance beyond the permit deadlines has also been criticised by members of the University of Tasmania's Law Faculty.
"The clearing of vegetation from the mill site began in early August, and concerns were immediately expressed to the EPA, and to several key government ministers, querying the legality of the work. We are furious that despite loud warning bells, no-one was listening" said TAP spokesman Tony Saddington.
"We have concerns that site work carried out by Gunns would contravene the Pulp Mill Assessment Act, given that Gunns have cleared vegetation without the necessary permits. David Bartlett has allowed destructive land clearing to take place while ignoring the community's concerns, and with no suggestion Gunns should have penalties imposed for breaching permit conditions," he continued.
TAP said the Government should have called for an immediate suspension of work at the Long Reach site until questions relating to permit issues had been addressed.
"David Bartlett is repeating the errors of his predecessor Paul Lennon in allowing expired permits to be revived through a fast-tracked extension. That Gunns have failed to attract finance, or the interest of a Joint Venture Partner is clearly shown by David Bartlett's cynical extension of the time frame to 2011. But his decision has condemned Tamar Valley residents to a further two years of uncertainty and despair.
"If government arrogance and lack of adherence to proper process is what the community can look forward to, then our fears about this project would seem to be entirely justified. And the iniquitous PMAA prevents any right of appeal by any individual or business should the mill cause any harm whatsoever to their health or livelihoods," said Mr Saddington.
TAP is still waiting for answers to questions asked of senior ministers in relation to this issue.
TAP condemned the decision by David Bartlett's government in extending permit conditions for the proposed Gunns' Pulp mill by a further 2 years.
David Bartlett promised Tasmanians an end to the pulp mill uncertainty by Christmas last year, and suddenly with the permits expired, the ALP is now in the process of fast tracking legislation that will continue division in the community for a further 2 years said a TAP spokesman.
"We have fought against this mill for 5 years in order to keep local jobs in the Tamar valley. David Bartlett has now ensured that the community will continue the fight to protect its health, jobs and livelihood" he continued.
"We will not give up. Any potential partner, buys into extremely strong community opposition."
“A witness has reported to TAP that the graffiti on John Gay’s property was composed of some squiggles and a drawing of a penis. We have no information about the alleged ‘smoke bomb’, TAP spokesperson Bob McMahon said today.
“It was entirely predictable from past performances that fingers would be pointed at the anti-pulp mill community organization TAP, for the alleged ‘attack’ on John Gay’s house”, he said.
“And how self-serving for pulp mill supporters to do so.
“We live in a very divided community and we do well to ask ourselves how this came about and who is responsible?” he continued.
“The State Government and its proxy, Gunns Ltd, have deliberately ignored community concerns about the impact of the proposed mill on jobs, health and investments in the Tamar Valley and throughout Tasmania.
“This is toxic to community cohesion”, he said.
“In addition, the State Government in collusion with Forestry Tasmania and Gunns Ltd, has continued to operate and subsidise at public expense an outmoded monopolistic forest industry that has forced forest contractors out of business and Gunns employees onto the scrap heap.
“It’s a great credit to Tasmanians that given all the hurt and provocation they have largely avoided violence and damage to property and have not lowered themselves to the standards of the State Government and certain other players”, Mr McMahon said.
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
Unrealisable expectation
Carbon Trade Watch www.carbontradewatch.org is monitoring the corruption of the climate change debate by the carbon offset industry particularly by tree planting.
The Carbon Neutral Myth highlights several ways in which the carbon offset approach to climate change is fundamentally flawed. See carbon_neutral_myth.pdf to read the full story.
Summary
From the late Middle Ages, Western Europe became slowly but surely engulfed by the tide of mercantilism that superceded the feudal economy. This system, which to us is second nature, was revolutionary at the time. It was, in its own way, the first wave of economic globalisation to wash over Europe.
The next TAP public forum in the series will be on alternative futures for our forests.
When 7pm - 9.45pm Monday 25 February 2008.
Where Riverside Community Centre, off Brownfields Lane behind the Riverside High School, West Tamar High way, Launceston.
Speakers
Speakers
Mike Scott (engineer) email - Mike_Scott@acl.com.au
Frank Strie (master forester) email - schwabenforest@connect.net.au
Kim Booth (Greens MHA) email - kim.booth@parliament.tas.gov.au
Decisions by Forestry Tasmania about the State's forests centre on producing one main low value product – pulp wood, but at what cost?
A celebration of 25 years of forest conservation in Jackeys Marsh, Tasmania, and the Great Western Tiers. Walks, talks and workshops for all age groups as well as great entertainment and inspirational forest films.
"Counting the Carbon in our Forests" workshop on Friday 1 Feb at 4.30pm led by Sean Cadman who describes new research into cool temperate forest carbon reservoirs and the carbon losses associated with approved logging of native forests in south eastern Australia.
Go to the 2008 Jackeys M
Wood for biofuels; a missed opportunity
Summary
Throughout the pulp mill saga, the politicians have assumed that there is no alternative use for Tasmania's plantation resource. But the rapid change in concern for global warming and greenhouse gas emissions has brought biofuels very much to the fore.
The only source of renewable biomass capable of replacing the amount of fossil fuel required to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets without detracting from food production is plantation forest grown on low value land.
A forest biofuels industry to produce fuels from wood in Tasmania would be substantially more beneficial than pulp at every level, economically, environmentally and socially. However, no one is going to invest in biofuels when the forests have already been promised to a powerful monopoly.
Ignoring the prospects for a biofuels industry exposes the failings of both major parties and demonstrates how short sighted the 20year contract with Gunns is.
