Monday, January 5, 2009

Federal Minister Peter Garrett's decision to effectively give Gunn's an extension of two more years to do the hydro dynamic modelling in Bass Strait is a body blow to Tasmanians and puts the pulp mill squarely on the 2010 federal election agenda, Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne said today. 

"It has been obvious from day one that a chlorine dioxide bleaching pulp mill would pollute Bass Strait and that tertiary treatment would be required," Senator Milne said. "Gunn's has had since 2004 to prove otherwise but has failed to do so."

"My campaign for the release of the Herzfeld report put the federal minister on notice that the community knows that Bass Strait does not flush quickly and that the pulp mill would never achieve the dilution and dispersion that would be required."

"It should not have required a long drawn out FOI battle, which is still ongoing, to force the government's hand to take a more serious look at the hydro dynamic modelling in the Environment Impact Management Plan (EIMP)."

"Why does the federal minister think that in two more years Gunns can prove what they have not been able to prove for the past four?"

"Gunns are clearly angling for the taxpayers to have to pay for the tertiary treatment and Mr Rudd should unequivocally guarantee that no federal money will be on the table."

"Minister Garrett should have rejected the (EIMP) today on the basis Gunn's failed to comply with its requirements and put an end to the misery Tasmanian's have had to suffer since Gunn's announced its pulp mill in 2004."

"This pulp mill and the relationship of its proponents with the Tasmanian Labor Government has poisoned the body politic in Tasmania for long enough."

"Nobody in the Tamar Valley, the tourism industry, the wine industry or the fishing industry can get on with their lives because of the looming threat that this polluting pulp mill poses."

"This decision is a blow to saving Tasmania's forests as carbon stores because everyday native forests are felled under the pulp mill forest agreement, even though the EIMP has been approved."