Tasmania’s future threatened – pulp mill impacts

Great Western Tiers, Tasmania. Photo: Rob Blakers

Gunns Ltd is the world’s largest exporter of hardwood woodchips and the company responsible for the destruction of forests across Tasmania. Gunns propose to build a native forest based, chlorine bleaching pulp mill in Tasmania’s scenic Tamar Valley. It will lead to a dramatic increase in the rate of logging in Tasmania, pollute the air of the local community and pump billions of litres of toxic effluent into Bass Strait each year. Economic impacts of the mills’ operation are expected to threaten the existence of small businesses across Tasmania, especially in the Tamar Valley.

Our forests

The pulp mill will initially be 80% based on native forest¹ and intensifying the logging of Tasmania’s world class forests.While Gunns’ mill will be heavily reliant on native forest logging all its life, the company plans to continue to export woodchips¹including plantation timber that could be going into the pulp mill. This will lead to a dramatic increase in the rate of logging in Tasmania, and a doubling of the rate of total woodchipping¹. It will devastate the forests of northern Tasmania and threaten Tasmanian wildlife, biodiversity, water supplies and the globally significant stores of carbon.

More info: The pulp mill and the forests

Tasmanian family by the Tamar River, near Launceston. Photo: John McCausland

Our ocean and beaches

Experts—including the Tasmanian Government’s own consultant, Sweco Pic—have said that Gunns failed to carry out adequate baseline studies and modeling of the effluents.² Oceanographers have warned that the effluent will frequently blow back to pollute the shore and the Tamar Estuary.³

Our marine life and fisheries

The pulp mill will discharge 30 billion litres of pollution into bass strait each year. Each day, this represents 64,000 tonnes of effluent every day⁴ containing quantities of dioxins and furans—some of the deadliest substances known to science. These build up over time in the food chain, contaminating fish, shellfish, seals and other marine life. This could damage our export fishing industry, which relies on clean water and a clean reputation.

Our wildlife

Wedge-tailed Eagle. Photo: Ted Mead

Scientists have warned that planned logging in Tasmania’s north-east threatens unique wildlife with local extinction.⁵ These include the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, the spotted-tail quoll and the giant freshwater crayfish.

More info: WildCountry Tasmania

Our water

The pulp mill will consume 26 to 40 billion litres of fresh water each year.¹ This is almost as much as the combined use of all water users in Northern Tasmania.⁶ Research shows that plantations can reduce stream flow by over 50%.⁷ Meanwhile, north-east Tasmania can expect a forecast reduction in rainfall of 8% over 30 years due to climate change.⁸

The air of the Tamar Valley

The pulp mill will stink. 'Fugitive emissions' of odour from hundreds of sources within the mill’s complex will drift to homes, businesses, farms and wineries in the vicinity of the mill.⁹ The Australian Medical Association (Tasmanian branch) says the pulp mill 'could cause an increase in the already existing morbidity and mortality from atmospheric pollutants'.¹⁰

Our climate

Each year the pulp mill will use four million tonnes of wood for pulping and 500,000 tonnes for burning to generate power.¹ Over a 25 year period, the emissions from logging of native forests to supply the mill will produce the volume of greenhouse gases equivalent to the CO2 released by all the cars, trucks and buses in Tasmania over 80 years.¹¹

More info: Green carbon is part of the climate change equation 

Our economy

Independent economists have warned that the pulp mill could cost Tasmania’s economy $3.3 billion and hundreds of lost jobs in the tourism, fishing and agricultural industries. The mill has already cost taxpayers millions of dollars. If it proceeds, it could cost the taxpayer an additional $800 million.¹² Hardest hit would be local family businesses such as the wineries, farms, tourist accommodation, restaurants and fishermen.

More info:Pulp mill financially unviable

Stop the pulp mill

How you can help stop the pulp mill!

References:

1. Gunns Ltd, Bell Bay Pulp Mill, Draft Integrated Impact Statement
2. Assessment of the Gunns Limited Bell Bay Pulp Mill against the Environmental Emission Limit Guidelines, Sweco Pic, June 2007; Miotti Consulting Peer Review of Sweco Pic Report
3. Dr Stuart Godfrey http://www.cleantamar.com.au/pulp_mill_press_release.html
4. Gunns’ referral under the EPBC Act, April 2007
5. University of Melbourne and Forestry Tasmania 2003; Bekessy transcripts, Wielangta court case 2006
6. Annual Reports, Esk Water and Cradle Coast Water
7. Trading water for carbon with biological carbon sequestration, Jackson et al. 23 December 2005 Vol 310 Science.
8. Tasmanian Government Draft Climate Change Strategy 2006
9. Dr Warwick Raverty
10. Australian Medical Association Tasmania, position statements, http://www.amatas.com.au/issues/
11. Trees—the Forgotten Solution to Climate Change, The Wilderness Society 2006
12. Business Round Table for Economic Sustainability, www.lec.org.au
13. Newspoll 27–28 August 2007, 400 respondents