Over 500 people pack pulpmill public meeting and welcome Bartlett's new era

The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc
Media Release 
11 June 2008

The Wilderness Society is delighted at the turnout for the pulpmill pipeline public meeting in Launceston last night.

The venue and adjacent carparks were packed as over 500 people attended the meeting at the Tailrace Centre, despite wet windy weather.

Speakers Buck Emberg, Trudy Maluga, Gerard Castles, Jeremy Ball and Geoff Law welcomed Premier Bartlett's new era of transparency, cleverness and kindness and spoke strongly against further state-government subsidies for Gunns' proposed pulp mill.

The audience strengthened several draft resolutions put to the meeting and put them into a motion that was moved by Launceston Alderman Ted Sands, seconded by Launceston Alderman Ian Norton and unanimously accepted.

Motion:

This meeting calls on the Tasmanian State Government to:

• Withdraw its support for Gunns’ proposed pulp mill, given that major negative impacts of the mill on Tasmania’s communities, Aboriginal Heritage, fresh water, forests, airbourne emisssions, other industries and economy have not been assessed;
  
• Remove any direct or indirect public subsidies for, or associated with the pulp mill or its infrastructure, including the proposed pipeline, wharf and road interchange;
  
• Rule out any compulsory acquisition of private property for the purposes of facilitating the provision of infrastructure for the proposed pulp mill;
  
• Engage in dialogue with all groups concerned about the future of Tasmania’s natural assets, including our forests, air, water, land and wildlife;
  
• Establish an independent anti-corruption watchdog with retrospective investigative powers with no exemptions;
  
• Repeal the Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007.