Peter Peter, Pulp Mill Pleaser?

by Roger Hanney

Tasmanian timber giant Gunns got another free pass from Labor at federal and state levels this month.
Local NGO Environment Tasmania and three Tamar Valley landowners are seeking a Supreme Court order that the state government explain why its pulp mill legislation prevents the awarding of compensation in the event that health, property, or business are impacted by Gunns’ proposed pulp mill.
Counsel for the government have indicated that they may apply to have the case struck out. Should the case proceed, parties will meet again for a directions hearing in November.
Nationally, Minister for Environment Peter Garrett has granted Gunns a 3-month extension on submission of their 16-module Environmental Impact Management Plan. Originally due for submission by early October, only four of the fourteen modules submitted so far were deemed suitable for approval.
The rest were sent back to Gunns as inadequate and incomplete, in much the same way that their original Integrated Impact Statement was sent back before former Premier Paul Lennon stepped in and legislatively circumvented the state level assessment process. This, of course, made way for the federal assessment process. Minister Garrett is continuing to say that although he takes the process seriously and will be very thorough, he can only address it in the manner laid out by former Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
This means that impacts on endangered species in native forests and millions of tonnes of carbon emissions will not be considered in whatever deliberations he will finally make.
Tasmanian Federal Greens Senator Christine Milne rejects the notion that this is simply procedural fairness.
“Whilst Malcolm Turnbull as Minister wasn’t prepared to stop the mill in its tracks as he should have done, at least he set some firm dates,’ said Milne. ‘Peter Garrett is bending over backwards to facilitate Gunns to the point of even suggesting to them that they might like to apply for an extension. How is that for a wink wink nod nod'”
Less generously, many Tasmanians suggest that Garrett is actually bending over forward for Gunns.
Milne has tied this newly granted extension to Garrett’s withholding of a report by CSIRO scientist Michael Herzfeld. Herzfeld’s report, according to Milne, indicates that Gunns’ current effluent emissions plan for Bass Strait will be completely unacceptable and require major investment in tertiary treatment if it is to meet dilution and dispersion requirements.
As investment banker Danielle Ecuyer correctly predicted last month, Gunns are experiencing major financial difficulty. The company further devalued their plummeting stock with a share issue intended to raise a quick $400 million to service rising debt levels. This does not even begin to address the $2 billion they must raise to finance the mill itself.
Tasmanian activists, numerous environmentalists, GetUp.org and a variety of other NGOs feel that Garrett has already been far too accommodating.
This perception is perhaps best expressed by Paul Oosting of The Wilderness Society.
“Gunns has continuously been unable to meet deadlines for the assessment,’ said Oosting. ‘Construction of the pulp mill and the project has only been kept alive by special deals from governments at the public’s expense.’

For full transcription of the interview with Greens Senator Christine Milne, go here.