"While I cannot ignore that this is an environmental win for Tasmania, I am very sorry for the jobs that have been lost.

"I want to secure jobs for Tasmania, I want a flourishing economy. Gunns pulp mill however was not part of this equation. Its closure comes as no surprise - only last month the company announced a $1 billion loss, following a $350 million loss last year and charges of insider trading laid against its former chairman John Gay last November.

"In 2004 Gunns announced its proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill just as I announced my candidacy for the Senate. In the past eight years I have worked with the Tamar valley community opposing this pulp mill. The saga has had many twists and turns but has been characterised all along by abuse of process. Former Labor Premier Lennon under instructions from John Gay withdrew the pulp mill project from proper environmental impact assessment and at that point the community lost any hope that this project would be any different from all that had preceded it in terms of corrupt processes, and alienation of the community.

"The pulp mill is dead. Gunns is in administration and it is wrong of the premier or anyone else to try to suggest that it will get back on the rails.

"It's now up to all of us to unite behind a shared vision of the future in Tasmania to build on our word class reputation as a clean, green, and clever state."

 "For eight years the Tamar Valley community has been fighting to stop the pulp mill and we hope today is the end of this protracted debate, and we can get on with our lives." Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said.

"All companies can learn from Gunns' mistakes, and today is not a result to celebrate, rather something to learn from.  Gunns placed all their eggs in one basket, with this high risk, high cost pulp mill at the bottom of the world, and neither the community or other investors supporting it, especially with the high Australian dollar.

"Tasmania's future relies on investing in new sustainable businesses and now more than ever, Tasmania needs new hope.  The pulp mill project has no place in Tasmania's new economy and those still raising false expectations about this project going ahead are acting irresponsibly

"Today's announcement means the pulp mill proposal is well and truly dead, the company themselves have previously stated the proposal has no value."