risk

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 Gunns Dossier: Pulp Mill Smoke and Mirrors, a record of 186 statements from CEO John Gay and Gunns Ltd, and State and Federal governments relating to the planned pulp mill in the Tamar Valley.

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. The ‘Gunns Dossier’ will be updated periodically as new evidence emerges.

Gunns Ltd continues to pursue its goal of a very large chemical pulp mill in the Tamar Valley.

You are invited to register your interest in being part of a potential class action seeking compensation for damages arising from Gunns Ltd planned pulp mill should it be built.

Tasmanians Against the Pulp Mill (TAP) has initiated the register to collate details of interested parties and to determine the extent of possible damages to the community and businesses if the proposed pulp mill proceeds.

This plain English guide to Gunns' contract offer was prepared by a Melbourne lawyer for landowners who have been made an offer by Gunns to purchase rights to install a pipeline across their land.

The bottom line is that it seems the landowner is being offered a short term, once off financial benefit, for long term financial detriment and long term inconvenience and risk.

Download this information as a pdf copy from below.

1. Summary of offer in the contract

(a) Gunns wants to build a pipeline from Lake Trevallyn to the site of the proposed pulp mill.

Gunns have not provided a risk assessment in their Integrated Impact Assessment of hazardous chemical transport, of the pulp mill generally* or of pipelines carrying water and waste. UK regulations now requires a risk assessment for the transport of all hazardous chemicals. The cost of not doing a risk assessment could be very significant. A range of risks must be considered in building and operating pipelines such as those listed below.

Summary of general pipeline construction and operation risks 

Three Tamar Valley business owners and Environment Tasmania have recently launched a Supreme Court challenge to the Tasmanian Government’s approval of Gunns’ pulp mill.

Using the infamous Section 11 of the Pulp Mill Assessment Act, the government has refused repeated requests to provide reasons for its assessment and decision to approve the mill.

12 August 2008 - TAP  kicks off two weeks of civil unrest

Calendar of events

15 August Friday 2.00-3.00pm West Tamar Council Chambers at Riverside.
Demonstration to impress upon the West Tamar Council that the ratepayers will not tolerate the Council allowing Gunns free access for the proposed pulp mill pipeline to land owned by electors.

Mr Gerard Brown
ANZ Group Headquarters
100 Queen St Melbourne Vic 3000
gerard.brown@anz.com   

Dear Sir

We wish to draw attention to the impacts on threatened species from Gunns Ltd’s proposed Long Reach pulp mill in northern Tasmania and the role of ANZ as prospective principal banker.

We and the general public understand that the ANZ has serious obligations under the Equator Principles to examine the environmental aspects of the pulp mill project and the pipeline route.

This paper is an attempt to identify and quantify the subsidies paid to Gunns and the logging industry in Tasmania. Drawing upon broad community input via the online newspaper www.tasmaniantimes.com , it was compiled by Andrew Bent  and edited by TAP.

Summary of findings

1. Taxpayer funding diverted to support pulp mill and logging

Report by prepared by Naomi Edwards April 2008.

Main points: