Overwhelming support for Bartlett to maintain his line in the sand on Tasmanian pulp mill

The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc
Media Release
17th November 2008

The Wilderness Society today released poll results that show overwhelming support for Premier Bartlett to stick by his ‘line in the sand’ and end all government support for Gunns’ proposed pulp mill. 

The statewide poll of 1000 Tasmanians, carried out by EMRS between the 3rd and 7th November 2008, revealed 73% of people agreed that the Bartlett government should end its involvement with the pulp mill. Support for the mill has been reduced to an embarrassingly small rump of 20%. Of note is the fact that large majorities of Labor and Liberal voters (70% and 62% respectively) agree that government support for the mill should end.

“The response from the Tasmanian public has been loud and clear. They want Premier Bartlett to honour his word to end government support for the pulp mill,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for The Wilderness Society.

Mr Bayley said that ending government support for the pulp mill entails:

•  instructing Forestry Tasmania to terminate the native-forest-based wood-supply agreement for the pulp mill;
• terminating the pulp-mill approval permits;
• ruling out government support for pulp-mill infrastructure such as the pipeline; and
• ending the sovereign-risk agreement.

“Just ending the sovereign-risk agreement is not enough to constitute the end to government support for the mill that Premier Bartlett promised,” continued Mr Bayley.

Premier Bartlett has been invited to speak at a public event organised by the Wilderness Society on 23rd November at Kingston Beach near Hobart to reiterate his stance and announce an end to all government support for the mill.

“As Premier Bartlett has said, the pulp mill has created division in the community, Tasmanians have had enough, and we all deserve certainty about the future,” continued Mr Bayley.

“People all across Tasmania, especially in the Tamar valley, have their lives on hold while Gunns sits on the pulp mill project indefinitely. By honouring his word, Premier Bartlett can deliver Tasmanians some degree of certainty and allow them to get on with their business and personal lives.”