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Summary of latest media reports on Gunns' attempts to build a pulp mill Go to media reports.  (Updated 30 July)

For commentary on the state of play, go to TAP media releases. (updated 21 June)

TAP general meeting. Every two weeks at 6.45 for 7pm start on Thursdays at the Riverside Community Centre, off Brownfields Lane, West Tamar Highway behind the Riverside High School. Come and hear the latest state of play and to plot, plan, conspire, collude, contrive, hatch, scheme, calculate, concoct, cook up, devise and otherwise bring the downfall of Gunns' proposed pulp mill. See the calendar at right for the next meeting date. All welcome.

Gunns share price www.google.com/finance shows movements in the price  of Gunns Ltd shares.  Prices were at a high of $4.45 on 4 January 2005 around the time of announcement of the planned pulp mill. Closing price on 29 July $0.675.

Senator Christine Milne in an email to TAP (28 July) confirms that she  remains "totally opposed to the Gunns proposed pulp mill in the Tamar valley". (added 30 July)

Senator Bob Brown and the Greens remain opposed to the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill.  Here is the excerpt from the recent press club speech:
Christian Kerr from The Australian, Bob, you raise the old perennial of logging, and the pulp mill. There are some interesting developments going on there. Would you ever support a pulp mill in the Tamar Valley, if it was part of a deal that protected the remaining high conservation-value forest areas of Tasmania?
Bob Brown, No Christian. Not unless it has the acceptance of the community in the Tamar Valley. And you'll know there's been huge opposition there.

Open letter responding to Premier David Bartlett's question to TAP.  The Premier's key question transcribed from audio tape of an impromptu meeting was "Is there any, can I ask you a question, is there any circumstances under which a pulp mill, you know, if you think about it, if it was totally, um, chlorine free, if it was closed loop, if it was in another place, I’m just saying, I’m trying to ask you, is there a scenario and it was obviously all plantation fed and accredited by FSC, is there a circumstance under which you would say No, that’s a reasonable project? Would you object or not?" Read TAP's response to the Premier's question in open letter. (added 15 July 10) (UPDATE 30 July) No response had been forthcoming from the Premier so the letter from TAP was hand delivered to him in Launceston last night by approximately 20 waiting 'Tappers'.

Penetrating analysis of forestry problems in Tasmania by Mike Bolan. " The shift of focus of Tasmania’s timber industry from valued timbers to woodchips has fuelled a range of dysfunctional results, including huge losses to the industry involving multiple bankruptcies (e.g. Great Southern, TimberCorp, FEA) and lost profits for Gunns. The ongoing efforts to shoehorn the idea of turning trees into their lowest common denominator of fibre, has corrupted our political system and threatens a massive community revolt."  The Forestry Assault (28 June 10)

TAP media release. Forest talks set to fail. “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.
 Media release (21 June 10)

Botnia pulp mill U-tube video. This polluting mill is the same design proposed for the Tamar Valley and is 'advertised' as world's best practice. As seen in the video, after two years in operation the pollution in the river between Uruguay and Argentina is atrocious. It is not only the waste in the river but the air quality and obnoxious smell emanating from the mill which has caused up to 100,000 people protest continually on the bridge between the 2 countries. Video link to the Botnia pulp mill Uruguay (added 8 June 10)

Who is Gunns' hired gun Timo Piilonen? (added 7 June 10)

Gunns ASX spin statements 2007 to present Here is the spin to cover a lack of substance extracted from 20 statements issued by Gunns to the ASX about imminent financing and construction of the pulp mill from 2007 to the present. Key words and phrases (the only bit you need to know) are distilled for you here: “substantially progressed, completed in the near term, proceed quickly, final stages of completion, commencing on site construction, final terms, finalise the arrangement, strong international interest, active discussions, discussions continuing, continuing to progress, continuing to work positively, progress discussions, continuing to negotiate, continuing talks, continuing with the project, quickly as possible, move forward, will continue, quickly as possible, progressing, on target, expecting to reach agreement, finalised, moving forward positively, project ready.” See Extracts from Gunns’ ASX statements from 2007 to present (updated 3 June) 2010.

Sydney Morning Herald opinion poll show 3 times more people believe Gunns should drop its planned pulp mill to every one saying it should go ahead. (added 1 June 10)

A thought provoking essay on "The Tragedy of Tasmania" by Peter Henning. (added 20 May 10)

In depth analysis of Tasmania's forest industry by Mike Bolan. "Around and around the same old table" (added 18 May 10)

'A WORM in the APPLE' by film maker David Leigh documents the fight against overwhelming odds by Tasmanians desperate for a return to democracy and a return to sanity in a world being torn apart by greed. A WORM in the APPLE (added 11 May 10)

Impacts of plantations for the proposed pulp mill See plantations

TAP newspaper Download the first edition of TAP's newspaper. (Added 9 Jan 10)

Jobs jobs jobs! How many new pulp mill jobs? This in-depth analysis has found that for every Tasmanian directly employed in the construction phase and operation of the proposed pulp mill, more than three jobs will be lost in tourism and fishing over the life of the mill. See Jobs jobs jobs! How many new pulp mill jobs? (New revision updated 11 Oct 09)

Open letter to Premier Bartlett re pulp mill concerns of TAP Into A Better Tasmania

Dear Premier,
Following your impromptu meeting with TAP members at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery on Friday 2 July, we wish to explain further our concerns and what we believe is required to fix the turmoil created by your predecessor over Gunns’ proposed pulp mill.

Premier Bartlett meets with TAP and asks a question

An impromptu meeting between Premier Bartlett and members of TAP Into A Better Tasmania took place on July 5 at the Queen Victora Museum, Launceston. The Premiers key question was "Is there any, can I ask you a question, is there any circumstances under which a pulp mill, you know, if you think about it, if it was totally, um, chlorine free, if it was closed loop, if it was in another place, I’m just saying, I’m trying to ask you, is there a scenario and it was obviously all plantation fed and accredited by FSC, is there a circumstance under which you would say No, that’s a reasonable project? Would you object or not?". Read the full transcript at Tasmanian Times.com

 

Premier David Bartlett's minder checking for 'dangerous' community members. Tappers - Estelle Ross, Susie Clarke and Buck Emberg. Photo Garry Stannus.

The Forestry Assault

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.

Media release 21 June 2010, Forest talks set to fail

“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.
 

Media reports March 2010

30 March 2010 The Launceston-based timber company has appointed advisers to fast-track a restructure of the business into four separate entities - the pulp mill, plantations, sawmilling and its other assets including Mitre 10, wine and construction.

Media reports Februray 2010

27 February 2010 Gunns says research involving genetics at a Ridgley site it acquired in 2002 never led to genetically engineered plantation gums - an assurance now supported by the State Government. (However), the 2000 edition of 40 Degrees South refers to the "new research centre and forest nursery expansion at Ridgley" "complementing" each other because a company involved, Associated Forest Holdings (AFH), had become "world leaders in genetically modifying E. nitens to improve cold tolerance and pulp fibre yield". A Gunns spokesman said there was nothing to fear. E.

Media reports for January 2010

 

30 January 2010 Tasmanian timber company Gunns has dropped legal action against a group of conservationists. The company took action in 2004 against 17 environmentalists and three organisations, claiming they had hurt its business by protesting, trespassing and damaging machinery. Now Gunns has announced it will pay $155,000 towards the legal costs of the four remaining defendants to end the proceedings. ABC

22 January 2010 The State Government paid $239,000 for an under-road crossing for Gunns Limited's pulp mill water pipeline shortly before Premier David Bartlett drew his "line in the sand" to end government support for the project by November 30 that year. Pulp mill project manager Les Baker asked Department of Economic Development secretary Norm McIlfatrick for help to pay for the box culvert under the Batman Highway-East Tamar Highway interchange in April 2008. Mr Baker pleaded that Gunns was under "extreme financial pressure". Gunns reported a $64.5 million profit for the 2007-08 financial year. Mercury

22 January 2010 Minister David Llewellyn's business trip to Japan has been labelled a mercy dash to keep timber giant Gunns' woodchip industry alive. And timber industry sources yesterday confirmed that the subject of discussion at meetings between Mr Llewellyn, Japanese business interests and Gunn's executive chairman John Gay would be woodchips. Industry sources say that Mr Gay would be trying to regain markets for his company's woodchips. Gunns refused to comment. Examiner

8 January 2010 The long-term wood supply agreement between Forestry Tasmania and Gunns will not be renegotiated to exclude native timber. Gunns announced that its proposed $2.5billion pulp mill would operate totally on plantation timber, sparking calls from The Wilderness Society to renegotiate the wood supply deal to exclude native forest woodchips. The Wilderness Society says the wood supply deal locks in more than one million tonnes of native forest wood for the next 20 years. Gunns spokesman Matt Horan said yesterday that operations outside of the pulp mill were reliant on the wood supply deal and that it would not be renegotiated. Mr Horan would not comment on the cost implications of the decision to make the pulp mill feedstock 100 per cent plantation wood. Examiner

Media reports for December 2009

19 December Japanese companies have demanded Tasmania provide them with Forest Stewardship Council accredited woodchips. Forestry Tasmania and Tasmania's dominant timber company Gunns Limited have previously shunned the internationally recognised FSC certification standard because of its close links with global green groups. Forestry Tasmania developed its own alternative, the Australian Forestry Standard, to prove to its customers that all timber logged and sold from the state came from sustainably managed forests.

Impacts of plantations for the proposed pulp mill

The expanding area of plantations intended to feed the proposed pulp mill, is already having a major impact on the state.

Water

Plantations lock in water shortages. Over 40 of Tasmania’s 48 water catchments are affected by thirsty plantation trees drawing water out of the ground and lowering the water table. Consumption of water by expanding plantations in the headwaters affects everyone downstream. When plantations exceed 8% of the catchment area, river flow audits show declining water levels particularly during dry summer months as evaporation rates increase (D. Leaman).

Plantations compete for water with irrigators, farmers, domestic consumers and the environmental flows needed to sustain river health. Changes in land use to plantations lock in patterns of water consumption for decades, at a time of declining rainfall from climate disruption. Tax subsidised plantations are taking water that could be used to make Tasmania the food bowl of Australia.