Garrett gives Gunns another special deal

The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc
Media Release
8 September 2008

In granting Gunns a further three months to obtain Federal Government approval for the pulp mill, Environment Minister Peter Garrett today extended another lifeline to the project and did another special deal for the company that has repeatedly treated the government, the assessment process and the public with contempt.

“Gunns has continuously been unable to meet deadlines for the assessment and construction of the pulp mill and the project has only been kept alive by special deals from governments at the public’s expense,” said Paul Oosting, pulp mill campaigner for The Wilderness Society.

“Last year we had Gunns saying it must have the pulp mill approved by July or else it would not proceed. Now, over a year later and with no approval and no finance in sight, the Federal Environment Minister is allowing even more time for work that should have been completed 12 months ago.

“The Australian public has a right to know where the line in the sand is. We have to ask whether there is a limit to the amount of time and other concessions this company will be given to meet the inadequate environmental conditions imposed by the previous Federal Government.”

“When will our leaders act in the public interest and help put this pulp mill out of its misery?”

Meanwhile, a CSIRO report into the hydrodynamic modeling of effluent from Gunns’ mill is being kept under wrap by Minister Garrett. This report is crucial to the debate about the pulp mill as it contains valuable research into what impact pulp-mill effluent would have on the fishing industry and sea life. Making this information available is clearly in the public interest. Gunn’s commercial interests should be a secondary consideration to the broader public interest in matters like this.

 The Wilderness Society will be writing to the Federal Environment Minister requesting a Statement of Reasons as to why he gave Gunns the extension.

“So far the only reason the Minister has given for granting Gunns the extension is that Gunns will not have the required information ‘satisfactorily completed by October 4’. With so many concessions already given to Gunns, the fact the company can’t meet a deadline is not a good enough reason to extend it. 

“How can Gunns be expected to properly manage a fully functioning pulp mill when it has consistently failed to be able to manage an assessment process?” concluded Mr Oosting.