Resource public services, not Gunns! For a healthy, socially just, sustainable and democratic state

  

 225 Murray St, Hobart, TAS 7000 / Phone: (03) 6234 6397 / hobart@socialist-alliance.org

Socialist Alliance opposes Gunns’ pulp mill, calls for referendum

24 March 2011

Socialist Alliance condemns the recent decision by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to give final approval to Gunn’s Tamar Valley pulp mill. Socialist Alliance also opposes the decision by the State government to continue propping up the mill by promising to build mill-related infrastructure for Gunns.

“We could never support the Gunns pulp mill in the Tamar Valley, due to the corrupt nature with which it was approved,” said Susan Austin, Socialist Alliance spokesperson. “In addition we oppose it because of its likely toxic effects on the environment and the community.”

Socialist Alliance joins with other community and environment groups in expressing grave concern about water usage, toxic effluent, odours, air pollution, greenhouse emissions, wood-fired power processes and the intensification of an already-harmful plantation industry in the state.   

“The permits for the mill must be revoked by the state and federal governments. Approval for any pulp mill needs to pass a rigorous, independent scientific assessment, such as the RPDC,” Austin said.

“Further, we acknowledge that there have been serious social and environmental issues concerned with pulp mills in general, wherever they have been built and therefore we believe that this and all other pulp mill proposals should in addition be subjected to a Tasmania wide referendum. This is a much more accurate way to determine the social license for any pulp mill and will allow everyone to have a say about whether we want a pulp mill or not,” said Austin.

Socialist Alliance also supports campaigns around the world by other communities who are also battling similar pulp mills.

“There will be no jobs on a dead planet. There are many ways that the government can support jobs and the environment, but supporting this toxic, job-poor project is definitely not one of them!” Austin concluded.

For more info: Susan Austin 0418 643 133

Defending Tassie forests

Defending Tassie forests
Saturday, July 17, 2010
By Melanie Barnes

The crisis in the forest industry has provided an opening to end the decades-long fight about how forests are used in Tasmania.

I’m a climate change activist and have lived in Hobart for five years. During that time, I’ve been involved in the campaign against the Gunns’ pulp mill, through the group Students Against the Pulp mill. More recently I’ve been a member of Climate Action Hobart.

I’m running as a candidate for the Socialist Alliance for the seat of Denison in the August 21 federal election.

The “forest issue” is often what people think of when Tasmanian politics is mentioned, and for good reason. Who can forget the images of then Coalition prime minister John Howard being cheered by 2000 logging workers in the 2004 election after he announced old-growth logging would continue indefinitely?

The then Labor leader Mark Latham said: “No policy issue or set of relationships better demonstrates the ethical decline and political corruption of the Australian Labor movement than Tasmanian forestry.”

He was referring to the Labor Party in Tasmania and the forestry sector of the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union, which had completely aligned themselves with the unsustainable forestry industry — and in particular with the main destroyer of Tasmanian forests, Gunns Limited.

What is often not told is what happened to those workers cheering Howard. With the onset of the global economic crisis and the demand for woodchips plummeting, many lost their jobs. Gunns was more than happy to use workers to defend profits, but ruthlessly shed those same workers when it suited.

The forestry industry is now in deep financial trouble. There is talk from the government about “reforming” or “restructuring” the industry. In May, the state Labor government gave a $3.6 million “assistance package” to forest contractors to continue business as usual.

These corporate bailouts do nothing to restructure the industry for the long term, or to help workers to leave the industry and retrain to find sustainable jobs.

The crisis in the forest industry has provided an opening to end the decades-long fight about how forests are used in Tasmania.

Community pressure led to the government calling talks between environmentalists and the industry, but these talks have been going on between closed doors, without community input.

There is a fear that negotiations could include trading government support for a plantation-based pulp mill in return for an end to logging in high conservation value forests.

The conservation groups chosen to take part in these talks cannot make decisions for the rest of Tasmanians; negotiation should be public, so that everyone can be part of decisions about the future of the forest industry.

Protection of forests in Tasmania is a national issue because forests are needed to reverse the damage of climate change. A study by the Australian National University into the carbon storage of Australian forests found that eucalypt forests of Victoria and Tasmania could contain more than 1200 tonnes of carbon per hectare.

A sustainable forestry industry would have to include:

• an end to logging in high conservation value forests, which destroys ecosystems and carbon banks needed to deal with climate change;

• a ban on wood-fired power stations that use wood from native forests;

• no pulp mill, not even one using plantation trees; and

• a sustainable plantation industry that doesn’t use chemical spraying or monoculture.

Forests are natural resources that should be used in the public interest. Tasmania’s forests should be put under the democratic control of all Tasmanians. When it comes to our environment, the interests of people and the planet should be put ahead of profit.

2010 Tasmanian State Elections

2010 TASMANIAN STATE ELECTIONS
Resource public services, not Gunns!
For a healthy, socially just, sustainable and democratic state

225 Murray St, Hobart, TAS 7000 / Phone: (03) 6234 6397 /

hobart@socialist-alliance.org

MEDIA RELEASE
28 November 2009

Socialist Alliance pre-selected two candidates for the March 2010 Tasmanian State Elections at a meeting in Hobart last week. Young climate activist Melanie Barnes will run in Denison and experienced human rights activist and social worker Jenny Forward will run in Franklin.

Both will be campaigning on a strong platform of environmental and social justice reform, including for:
· A big funding boost for public health, education, and housing
· Tasmania to lead the way on climate change by protecting old growth forests, achieving 100% renewable energy by 2020 and stopping subsidies to big polluters
· Scrapping water and sewerage charges, returning it to local control with state government back-up
· Public transport – free and frequent local buses or light rail, fast-speed trains not more Midland highway lanes.

Both activists are passionate about transforming Tasmania into a more democratic and sustainable state that can ensure jobs a good quality of life for ordinary people and lead the way on preventing climate change.


Melanie Barnes is a 26 year old climate change activist who works for an environmental NGO. She has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Indonesian and political science from the University of Queensland. She has been a leader of Students Against the Pulp Mill protests, Walk Against Warming actions, as well as anti-war, refugee, education and women’s rights campaigns. She is the Hobart organizer of the socialist youth group Resistance. She has also studied in Indonesia and represented Tasmania in an educational solidarity tour of Venezuela.

Barnes said: “I am running in these elections because I take these issues seriously and want to inspire people to believe that there is an alternative and change can happen. Tasmania has so much potential to be able to deliver the things people really need and care about – a healthy environment, fulfilling jobs, community democracy and good healthcare and housing. But we need politicians who will put these issues ahead of big business concerns.”

Melanie Barnes, Socialist Alliance candidate for Denison Ph 0423 978 518

Jenny Forward has been a long term activist over the past 25 years both here in Tasmania and in Chile, in many areas including women's and human rights. She has also been active in the National Council of Single Mothers and Their Children as she is also a single parent herself of a daughter who is now 17. Jenny and her daughter have been living in Kingston for 3 years now after having lived in Taroona for 9 years. Her family are long time residents of the Huon Valley where they have worked as saw millers, truck drivers and farmers and her mother has worked as a teacher. Jenny became a social worker as a mature age student in 2001. She worked as a child protection worker for 5 years and for the past 2 years she has been working with migrants and refugees.

Jenny Forward, Socialist Alliance candidate for Franklin Ph 0400 701 902

Authorised by Susan Austin, 225 Murray St, Hobart, 7000.

Making a Positive Contribution Towards Change in 2009

by Susan Austin, Hobart convener

In writing this report, I was reminded of why we are all probably feeling a bit tired as the year winds to an end. Having a Labor government in power at both federal and state levels has not made the work of Socialist Alliance any easier, except that maybe more people can see that our democracy is failing us on many of the big issues of our time, and as the earth heats up, and social injustice rages, many people are looking for an alternative.

Socialist Alliance (along with Resistance, socialist youth organization) have been playing an active role in the Climate Action Hobart group which has been meeting fortnightly and has been going from strength to strength since being established early this year. Meetings are vibrant, democratic and inclusive and the group has achieved a lot, including a climate emergency rally on parliament house lawns in June, a one day workshop and forum at the Philip Smith Centre to further develop our excellent ten-point plan for climate action, 350.org actions in October, a successful quiz night last week at the Republic bar, a fundraising raffle and, along with four other organizations, yesterday's fantastic Walk Against Warming.

This year's Walk Against Warming was part of an international day of action held in the middle of the Copenhagen climate treaty negotiations. About 40,000 people marched in Melbourne, 15,000 in Sydney and many thousands in the other capital cities around Australia and the world. In southern Tasmania up to 2000 people traveled the 2 hours from Hobart to attend the Walk in the Upper Florentine Valley. The Walk was actually along the newly-bulldozed forestry access road and the stage was set up along it, so protestors could experience listening to speakers about climate change amongst magnificent tall trees destined for the woodchip mill.

We had strong, radical demands including for protecting the world's forests, reducing GHG emissions to below 350ppm, a just transition for workers to a low carbon economy and making Tasmania a renewable energy island. I was appalled that such a significant demonstration didn't even get a mention in the ABC news last night, or today's Mercury newspaper. It reminds me why, now more than ever, we need an alternative news source like Green Left Weekly that can spread information about our campaigns and really get behind the issues that the mainstream media block out, fudge over or misrepresent.

If the future of our planet's ecosystem and the peoples in the third world depended on knowing who Tiger Woods last had sex with, I wouldn't mind it being on the front page of the Mercury instead of the Walk Against Warming. But somehow I think that climate change will have more of a bearing on our future!

Thanks to all those people who have donated money to the 2009 Green Left Weekly fighting fund appeal. We have put on an interesting range of fundraising events this year, including the Premier of the 2 new Che films by Steven Sodenburgh, a fabulous mid-year dinner including a film screening of Tim Anderson's documentary on Cuban doctors, and other film festivals.

It takes a lot of money to keep an alternative newspaper pumping off the press each week and Hobart branch set a Green Left target of $5000 to fundraise this year, and we've made a pretty good attempt to reach that, collecting over $200 at our end-of-year BBQ which means we are only about $600 off.

Socialist Alliance and Resistance members have been involved in the protests happening in Brighton in support of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, who is campaigning to stop the construction of the Brighton bypass. There are very significant cultural artifacts on the proposed site, some as old as 18,000 years. It is also a place where Aboriginal elders have been buried, as well as it being a meeting place for Aboriginals. It is one of the most culturally significant places in Tasmania and also in Australia. TAC has consequently compared the construction of the bypass as the equivalent of bulldozing the pyramids to construct a McDonalds. Our members have been involved in the blockade of the site as the bulldozers went to work in late November. At one protest 18 people from TAC and four from Socialist Alliance were arrested and are due to go to court in February on charges of trespass. We see indigenous rights as a crucial area of work and also participated in the sorry day protests in January and the protest against Rudd over the Northern Territory intervention. This year we have been able to build stronger connections with members of TAC and hope to continue to further this relationship next year.

Our national Socialist Alliance Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander policy was launched this year, along with a book on the history of indigenous struggle and the socialist and trade union movements, so we may look to launch these publications in Hobart in the first part of next year. Education in our branch has been given a shot of adrenalin with Tim Dobson arriving and taking on the role of organizing interesting socialist discussion groups which have covered wide-ranging books and topics such as Karl Marx's Wage, Labour and Capital, and the Communist Manifesto, Lenin's - Imperialism - The Highest Stage of Capitalism, the French revolution, fascism and more.

We also hosted retired coalminer Graham Brown who gave forums on Green Jobs, Margartia Windisch who spoke about the economic crisis and launched the pamphlet Meltdown and Canadian eco-socialist Ian Angus. In March we launched the Voices from Venezuela book and gave report-backs from the December Venezuela solidarity brigade at the Hobart Bookshop.

Rene and Linda, with the help of other members, have played an important solidarity role with the people of El Salvador, including organizing an El Salvadorian MP and health worker to tour down here, and Rene has made sure that the campaigns to Free the Cuban Five and end the coup in Honduras were given some expression here.

Tim Dobson has taken initiative in organizing Tamil solidarity events including a rally, book launch and forum. Tim Douglas, Duncan and Mel have stayed involved with the simmering campaign against the Pulp Mill. We have been out to the Florentine a few times to support the activists fighting old growth logging there and participated in the solidarity arrest-me-too action in town earlier this year.

We should remember to raise our glasses for one of the biggest victories for the people and the environment this year, the Save Ralph's Bay campaign success when the planning body released its draft report finding that the cons majorly outweighed the pros. So this massive canal development is very unlikely to be given the green light needed for construction, and the birds and ecosystem of the area can survive.

Resistance joined lots of people at O'week and played a great role in reviving the environment collective on campus this year.

Other achievements of our branch this year have included pulling off a refugee rights protest outside Duncan Kerr's office and one near the mall, a Palestine vigil, a protest against the war in Afghanistan when Rudd came to town in October, raising the flag for the Western Sahara people, hosting a Get Up forum on a bill of rights, involving lots of members in a successful Sustainable Living Expo stall over 2 days in November, organising a stall at the climate festival in Launceston in March, supporting a protest in solidarity with Ark Tribe and the COAG action when Rudd was in town in April. I'm sure there's also lots more things that I haven't included.

Linda has played a leading role in NTEU campaign, and Jenny and myself have been involved recently in the health professional industrial campaign. Members have traveled interstate to participate in the National Climate Summit, the Latin American Solidarity Conference, the Easter World at a Crossroads conference, Resistance national conference and FMLN meetings.

We have also made a good start on our March 2010 election campaign, with two members stepping forward into the role of candidates to take socialist ideas out to a broader audience. Mel and Jenny are both fantastic representatives of the Alliance and have the full support of our branch. We have a good team in place to help with the campaign, and have already produced and distributed hundreds of leaflets introducing our candidates and explaining our main policy points, as well as begun developing the campaign website, corflutes and policy. Only a small number of people came to our first election forum on December 3, but we will be sure to look for many more opportunities next year for our candidates to speak. Socialist Alliance Hobart is one of the smaller branches in the country, and I think that it is obvious that all those involved put in an enormous amount of work to pull off the range and number of events that we do.

On top of this, we try and stay engaged in the political and activist life of the city by building and attending other progressive organisations' forums and events. We also make a big effort to reach out and engage with the general public by doing regular stalls in the city, at uni, at the Salamanca markets and at rallies and events. No-one in Hobart is paid to do any of this work, it is all purely voluntary. It couldn't be done without members working as a team, and while there are moments of frustration for organizers who feel like they are carrying the can, for the most part I am proud to say that the Hobart branch functions as a very skillful and dynamic team. In small branch it is easy for personality clashes to wreak havoc, or for people to take their frustrations out on each other, but with good democratic processes and a focus on the urgent task of social and environmental change at hand, we manage to cohere a very effective team of activists, with everyone playing an important role, no matter how small or large the time commitment or no matter how trivial or complex the task.

Alby, one of our longer term members, has been an integral part of that team, and we will be very sad to see him go. Brisbane branch are lucky to be getting a ready-made revolutionary activist and team player like Alby coming their way!

We have 7 or so members going to Sydney in January for the 7th national Socialist Alliance conference, which will be a fantastic opportunity to take the Alliance forward in terms of policy development, campaign planning and gearing up for the 2010 federal elections. We hope to gain lots of ideas from other branches, and come away with some clear priorities for campaigning. So, while we will be having a well-earned break for a few weeks over the festive season, we will be gearing up again in mid-January next year for another year of frantic, fast-paced socialist activism. I would like to thanks everyone for their support over the course of this year, and encourage you to join us and get involved in whatever way you can next year. All the campaigns will be continuing as there remains an urgent need to see some real improvement in our governments' climate change strategies and social justice approach.

In the meantime, have a wonderful Christmas and New Year festive season.

In solidarity,Susan

Big TAP Protest Outside Gunns, Petition, Meeting Reminder.

TAP Announces An Important Moment in The Fight Against The Pulp Mill

TAP is holding a huge rally outside Gunns head office in Launceston to mark the 1st anniversary of Gunns withdrawal from the RPDC. Please set-aside Friday March 14 to be part of this historic event. We will meet on the lawns outside Gunns at 11am with banners and black armbands to commemorate the collusion of big business and government
in Tasmania. We have a high-profile guest speaker and media coverage.

To all all TAPPERS. Its up to you to bring your friends and tell everybody you know about this event. There will be no parking in Lindsay St so get there early. It will go ahead regardless of the weather, so come along and make your voices heard.

A petition to the Rudd Government to protect communities from pulp mill hazards.

We aim to collect 50,000 signatures by 1st April.

Download Petition

The next TAP meeting will be held at the Community Centre behind Riverside High School, West Tamar Road, Riverside (entrance off Brownfield Lane) on Thursday 6th March at 7.30pm sharp. You can turn right into Brownfield Lane from West Tamar Road - there is an access through the central reservation.

Apologies to
tapcontact@gmail.com

PETITION TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES FROM PULP MILL HAZARDS

Sign the petition.: download it here.

To the Honourable the President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:
The Petition of the undersigned Citizens of Australia declares that, in relation to the Tamar pulp mill assessment; the risks and costs of the proposal to agriculture, tourism and recreation; the total subsidies that will be required; and the investments, health and safety of the citizens in the region; all were ignored in the truncated process. Your petitioners were effectively unrepresented by their elected ‘representatives’.

Your petitioners want a return to; the protection of transparent due process; public & industry participation and protection in planning and; equal treatment for all; and therefore request that the Senate act to delay any pulp mill until a complete and independent study of the risks and costs to other industries and communities has been conducted including the likely total costs of all subsidies and cost relief (to Australian risk assessment or federal Treasury standards); the results made public and properly debated.

Media Release: SA candidates release open letter to timber workers

MEDIA RELEASE

Socialist Alliance election candidates release open letter to timber workers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

16th November 2007

Socialist Alliance candidates for Franklin and Denison have released an open letter to timber workers explaining why Socialist Alliance supports workers but is opposed to the Tamar Valley pulp mill.

In launching the open letter, Susan Austin, Socialist Alliance Candidate for Denison in the upcoming Federal elections, said “We’re not against all pulp mills, but we are against this one. It would poison the environment, endanger other industries in the region, and put other workers’ livelihoods at risk. More jobs would be lost in industries adversely affected by the pulp mill than would be created.”

“Gunns has no ongoing commitment to timber workers. We already see this when log truck drivers have their contracts ditched, leaving them with huge debts to pay for the trucks that they are in the middle of buying,” said Matthew Holloway, Socialist Alliance candidate for Franklin. “In addition, we know that Gunns doesn’t care about environmental impacts, but working people must. We workers would have to live with the environmental and economic consequences of a bad development like the pulp mill,” Holloway said.

Both candidates will be attending tomorrow’s anti-pulp mill march organised by The Wilderness Society. “We have been helping to promote this rally because it is important that the large majority of people in Tasmania and throughout Australia voice their opinions publicly. We expect the incoming government will eventually have to listen to the people, because the people are not giving up!” said Austin.

Susan Austin Ph: 0418 643 133

Matthew Holloway Ph: 0419 582 372

Student Protest Against the Pulp Mill Hobart 1/11/07

Slideshow in large format

STUDENTS OUTRAGED BY GUNNS PULP MILL

600 walk out of school to protest

On Thursday Nov 1, 600 high school and college students walked out of class and gathered at Parliament House Lawns in Hobart to protest against the proposed Gunns pulp mill. The protest was organized by Students Against the Pulp Mill. Speakers included concerned students, as well as Greens Senator Christine Milne, newly elected Hobart deputy mayor Helen Burnett and Socialist Alliance candidate Susan Austin.

Gabby Forward, a rally organizer said, “It’s been a fantastic turnout. It shows that not only are students concerned about the pulp mill, and their future, but that they are willing to act to show how they feel.”

Resistance member and rally organizer Melanie Barnes said, “one of the reasons we are opposed to this pulp mill is because of the contribution it will make towards climate change. This is an issue the federal government hasn’t even assessed yet. Some estimates say that this mill will lead to an extra 10 million tones of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.”

During the rally Premier Paul Lennon was invited by the crowd to come out of Parliament and address everyone, but he did not show.

The crowd all took the pledge read out by Students Against the Pulp mill member Gabby Forward, which said that:

“As the future of Australia

We gather here today

In honour of past campaigns

And to take a stand against corruption and to fight the mill…

As students we say no!”

After the rally, hundreds of students marched along the footpath to ANZ bank to highlight their opposition to ANZ’s financial backing of the mill. Police expressed their anger at protest organizers for leading an unplanned march, but many students who participated said that it was their decision to join the march and it was an important way for them to have their voices heard.

Another student walkout against the pulp mill is being planned for Launceston students next week, Nov 8 at Civic Sq at 1.15pm.

For more information phone Gabby Forward on 0400 917 753 or Melanie Barnes on 0423 978 518

Socialist Alliance candidates support student walk-out

MEDIA RELEASE

Socialist Alliance election candidates support the student walk-out against the pulp mill.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

25^th October 2007

Socialist Alliance federal election candidates Susan Austin and Matthew Holloway are urging students to walk out of school on Thursday, November 1, to join the protest being organised by Students Against the Pulp Mill.

Hundreds of students are expected to walk out of school and rally on Parliament Lawns at 12:30pm to show their opposition to the pulp mill.

Young people have strong opinions on this issue as they will inherit the environmental issues caused by the mill if it goes ahead”, said Ms Austin, candidate for Denison. “We support the right of young people to express their opinion in public, and if they need to walk out of school to get their point across, then we support that”, Ms Austin said.

Matthew Holloway, Socialist Alliance candidate for Franklin, said “Socialist Alliance supports lowering the voting age to 16 because we believe if people are old enough to pay taxes, they are old enough to have a say. Walking out of school and protesting against the pulp mill is a legitimate way for young people to get their voices heard”, he said.

“We recognise that the type of pulp mill and the location being proposed, will lead to massive amounts of air, water and odour pollution, the continued deforestation of our beautiful state and the release of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide” Ms Austin said. “It will also lead to a loss of jobs in other industries, such as tourism, wineries and the fishing industries. With both major parties showing they are willing to over-ride due process to ensure the mill goes ahead, we support a variety of protest actions which express the democratic will of the majority, who are opposed to this mill”, Ms Austin said.

Susan Austin Ph: 0418 643 133

Matthew Holloway Ph: 0419 582 372

Tassie's forests 'Too precious to pulp'

'Too precious to pulp'
Susan Austin, Hobart4 August 2007
Hundreds of people packed out the State Cinema in Hobart to watch the premiere of The Wilderness Society’s (TWS) pulp mill film Tasmania’s Clean Green Future: Too Precious to Pulp. The short film was made by award-winning film-maker Heidi Douglas, who is one of the “Gunns 20’’ defendants being sued by Gunns for previous films. It aims to counter the Tasmanian government’s latest propaganda campaign supporting the proposed pulp mill in the Tamar Valley, which consists of television and newspaper ads and large glossy brochures.

The $300,000, six-week advertising campaign, launched by the premier on July 8, has been criticised as “misleading” and “distorted spin” by academics and scientists. The July 15 Sunday Tasmanian reported that the mill process, including the cost of running the mill task force, the Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) before Gunns pulled out of the process, the latest report by Finnish pulp mill consultant Sweco Pic and advertising had so far cost taxpayers more than $9 million. The reports commissioned by the state government were released on July 5, although not before the government received more criticism for showing them to Gunns first. A

fter throwing out the RPDC’s assessment process, the state government engaged Sweco Pic to conduct an environmental assessment and ITS Global to conduct a review of the social and economic benefits of the proposed pulp mill. Sweco Pic has worked with the companies contracted to design the mill, and ITS Global has been criticised by TWS and the Australian Conservation Foundation for helping Malaysian multinational Rimbunan Hijau run a public relations campaign last year to justify the company’s controversial logging operations in Papua New Guinea.

The reports found that the mill does not meet all environmental standards, will damage local tourism and may increase the road toll due to extra log truck traffic. However they recommend that the mill goes ahead, claiming that it will increase the annual gross state product by 2.5%, will create 1600 more jobs and that it met 92 of the 100 environmental guidelines.

Labor Premier Paul Lennon said that the state government would write the recommendations relating to the eight “failed” standards into the mill’s permits, which the government will regulate when the mill is operating.

The Tourism Industry Council released the results of a survey of the state’s tourism operators on August 2. Of those surveyed, the majority expected the mill to have a positive impact on the economy. However 58% of operators thought the proposed mill would have a negative affect on the Tasmanian brand and 34% thought the mill would have a negative effect on their business. The council called on the state government to establish an independent Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to monitor any pollution from the proposed mill.

In the lead-up to the 2006 state election the Labor Party committed to the establishment of an EPA in Tasmania. Tourism and environment minister Paula Wriedt said legislation for an independent EPA would be introduced in the spring session of parliament.

The Tourism Industry Council also called for major investment into rail services to remove log trucks from tourist routes. The Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania is also calling for more rail services should the mill proceed, saying that the mill could lead to a doubling of the number of log trucks on the highways.

Opposition to the mill has also led to a wine boycott. A July 24 article in the Melbourne Age reported that almost a dozen Melbourne restaurant-based sommeliers, consultants and at least one retailer are boycotting Gunns-owned wines, widening the circle of a boycott that began in Tasmania three years ago. According to the Age article, Gunns controls a sixth of the state’s wine production, including the brands Tamar Ridge, Coombend, Rosevears Estate and Notley George. The Victorian chapter of the Australian Sommeliers Association has sent out letters to its 350 members informing them about the Gunns pulp mill and the impacts it may have on the environment and the overall wine industry in Tasmania. Association president Ben Edwards was quoted as saying “Gunns have got a lot of money and a lot of power and we don’t. But we have influence.”

Hobart Mercury wine writer Graeme Phillips wrote in the August 1 edition that some restaurants around Tasmania have removed Gunns’ wines from their lists altogether, while a leading retailer reported that a growing customer awareness of the Gunns-Tamar Ridge connection has led to a slowing of sales, particularly in the last six months. Investors for the Future of Tasmania argue in one of their full-page anti-pulp mill ads in the Mercury that 180,000 tourists visit northern Tasmanian every year, the main attraction being the largest concentration of vineyards and cellar doors in the state. “All of these vineyards are ’at risk’ from odour emissions from this mill”, they claim.

TWS is calling on all members of parliament to honour a pre-election pledge not to vote for the pulp mill unless it met all environmental guidelines. It claims that the Sweco Pic report is unequivocal in its finding that the pulp mill fails to meet the guidelines referred to in the pledge. Haydn Walters, president of the Australian Medical Association in Tasmania, said the Sweco Pic report did not change the AMA’s view that the mill would add to the potential of health-damaging matter entering the Tamar Valley.

Gunns continues to use a variety of methods to influence state politicians, who are widely expected to vote to approve the mill in late August, including a “familiarisation day” at the site on June 29, where upper house MPs were given a site tour, a helicopter trip along the Tamar River to the Bass Strait and lunch at Gunns’ head office. Five independent legislative councillors and two lower house Liberal MPs have also been funded by the Lennon government (at a cost of about $10,000 each) to go on an all-expenses paid trip to South America and Europe to inspect pulp mills there. A Gunns lobbyist is accompanying the politicians on the tour.

On July 19 it was revealed that Labor backbencher Lisa Singh had written to the premier asking for a conscience vote on the mill, “in order to build confidence in the process”. The parliamentary Labor Party stated that it would not allow a conscience vote, and it expelled Labor MP Terry Martin when he crossed the floor and voted against the undemocratic pulp mill approval process in March this year.

Hobart City councillor Jeff Briscoe is planning to move a motion in the council to hold an electors’ poll on the issue during the October council elections, saying that “so far every Tasmanian has been denied a democratic vote over this important issue” and that “this is a fair way for everyone to express their view”. When the West Tamar Council held an electors’ poll on the pulp mill in 2005 (before the government chose to bypass the RPDC process), 56% of voters declared their opposition.

From: Australian News, Green Left Weekly issue #720 8 August 2007.