Malcolm Turnbull has done what Gunns and the Prime Minister required and approved the pulp mill. But he hasn’t taken it off the election agenda – this is far from over.
Mr Turnbull is saying that the conditions he’s put on the marine effluent, and saving 400ha of forest, make this a world’s best practice mill. But how can a mill which will destroy 200,000ha of magnificent forest, 500 times what’s being protected, be world’s best practice? How can a mill that pumps effluent, albeit less than it might, into a pristine environment be world’s best practice? How can a mill that adds 10 million tonnes of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere every year be world’s best practice?
Mr Turnbull didn’t answer those questions, because he decided he didn’t have to. He is attempting to argue that his capacity to act was very limited, but he has broad powers under the EPBC Act that he ignored. A case in point is the greenhouse gas emissions from the pulp mill which he chose not to assess, even though he has the power to do so under the EPBC Act. He chose not to even though the greenhouse emissions from the project were to be assessed under the joint Commonwealth / State approved assessment process conducted by the RPDC in Tasmania. When Gunns withdrew from the RPDC process and Minister Turnbull offered an alternative Commonwealth process, he chose not to include greenhouse gas emissions.
Equally disturbing is Mr Turnbull’s decision to give the mill the go-ahead even though he admits he still doesn’t know what the full impact of the effluent on the environment will be. That is a clear breach of the EPBC Act. Malcolm Turnbull has broken the law that it is his duty, as minister, to uphold.
These failures surely demonstrate that Mr Turnbull’s decision is all about politics and not about “world’s best practice”.
Whilst the Prime Minister hopes that Gunns will be easily able to meet the new conditions (and no doubt Gunns will have their hand out for more government subsidies to do so), MrTurnbull may well be hoping that Gunns decide not to proceed. That was the case when Graham Richardson and the Keating cabinet approved the Wesley Vale pulp mill but demanded higher standards, prompting Noranda to withdraw from the project. But Gunns are a lot hungrier for this mill now than Noranda was then.
This campaign is not over. The people of Tasmania do not want this pulp mill and will see this commonwealth decision as being politically expedient, not scientifically valid. They, and we, will continue to campaign to protect the clean, green and clever economy of the Tamar Valley in particular and Tasmania in general.
Malcolm Turnbull has not saved his seat, but what he has done is put some pressure on Federal Labor, Peter Garrett and George Newhouse to say what they would do. But, if ever there was a case where there has been shown to be no ideological divide between Liberal and Labor, this is it. The old, two party politics has no answer for those who want to grapple with issues like this. The new politics is between the old parties, wedded to digging up coal, cutting down forests and shipping away uranium, and the new parties like the Greens who argue for a shift away from a resource-based economy to a low carbon economy based on sustainability and protection of the environment.
The Greens have long argued that you can have a pulp mill which is clean, green and clever (pdf). It would be a closed-loop, chlorine-free, plantation based pulp mill. That would be world’s best practice. This mill is not, no matter what conditions Malcolm Turnbull puts on it.
This election, people can vote for the past or the future. For hope or for despair. For the ‘Laborals’ or the Greens.
In closing, I want to say that I have never been able to visualise Gunns’ Pulp Mill on the Tamar Valley, and nothing today has changed that view. Here’s a video I did in July, that I hope will inspire people to understand that there is a long way to go yet and we must never ever give up.
I think the Liberals may have just sacrificed Wentworth in an attempt to retain Bass. I look forward to them losing both.
I’ll be fascinated to see what impact this has in Wentworth, Sam. Reckon there’s buckley’s chance the Libs will hold Bass regardless of the Pulp Mill decision. They only won it last time on the back of the anti-Latham interest rates scare. I suspect that you may be right and the Libs will now lose both.
well i feel like a sacrrificial lamb being only 2k away from this dreaded pulp mill…turnbull sure doesnt care about us it makes me wonder if he has shares in gunns….lennon sure showed his true form when he partnered up with john gay and virtually said hang the people …when you think that gunns were given 5 million by the federal government to build a closed loop pulp mill and as soon as they got it they changed it to a chlorine kraft mill …that tells us what type of people we are dealing with….very dissapointed in you mr turnbull
We can only hope. I’ve emailed Christine’s video appeal to some prominent people in the food world, and will try to increase exposure on Gosstronomy later this week as well. It’s amazing what people will do to act in their self-interest.
Watching Garrett on the news tonight saying how he and the ALP agree with the pulp mill decision made me so angry I nearly vomited.
One can only hope that Turnbull’s political career, with pressure from both the environmental and gay & lesbian lobbies, will be over by the end of voting day.
I wish turncoat Garrett would follow him into political oblivion.
This is a copy of what I sent to Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Garrett. I’m an I.T. technician, volunteer of many skills and I love life, unlike ….
This is a response to your pulp mill decision. WE DO NOT NEED THE PAPER. HAVE YOU HEARD OF I.T., A PAPERLESS MEDIUM? ARE YOU SO DESPERATELY SICK THAT THE LIFE ON EARTH IS LESS IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN SHORT TERM POLITICAL/ECONOMIC EXPEDIENCE?
THE ECONOMICS OF PAMPERING VESTED INTERESTS IS A TOTALLY CORRUPT PRACTICE INTRINSIC IN YOUR BRAND OF POLITICS. YOU, AND OTHER POLITICIANS AND INDUSTRIALISTS WITH GOOD LOBBYISTS ARE DESTROYING LIFE FOR THE SAKE OF SHORT TERM CONVENIENCE. YOU ARE LAZY, UNIMAGINATIVE AND HAVE NO WORTHWHILE ETHICS OR COURAGE.. ARE YOU ALL TERMINALLY INSANE? YOUR ATTITUDE DESTROYS ALL HOPE FOR THE YOUNG. CURSE YOU!
NO APOLOGIES FROM YOU OR FOR YOU AND YOUR KIND. KAY SCHIEREN
So the dioxin levels in the effluent are miniscule - but how much is going to be produced in the stacks and fired into the atmosphere?
This mill has been touted as having a cost structure in the lowest decile internationally which means it will be among the cheapest ten percent in the world. Which means (unless you believe in Santa Claus) that they expect to get the state resource for nothing, and go on squeezing the taxpayer for plantation and infrastructure subsidies. Of course the forest contractors have been subsidizing them for years and their many creditors in turn who stand in line behind the bankers when they are sold up. But Paul Lennon and the rest know its about jobs, mostly short term and dumb ones but if you have influence and a really strong stomach you might even get a seat on the board.
It’s no wonder that Mr. Gay has always been confident that Gunns would get permission to build this monster polluting pulp mill.
He has obviously been assured of the decision from the start. The Fedaral and Tasmanian governments have contributed millions of dollars to this flawed project and the Liberals/Labor parties are protecting their political investment.
Neither political party takes a long term view of the environment or the health , wealfare and jobs of the people in the Tamar Valley, they are only interested in an electoral advantage.
People power is the most powerful way to defeat this potential blot on the clean green landscape of Tasmania.
Don’t let this decision pulp the future of Tasmania.
On the point about never giving up - this fight has barely begun! The Turnbull decision is much as I expected it would be - A “Yes, but……………..” I had hoped that the “but” might amount to more, however. I think Gunns might find it a little difficult to shore up the finances, but even if they do, and they start to build the bloody thing, we will never, NEVER let up in our opposition to this travesty. Our resolve is steely, and we feel no qualms about taking this on because we were sold out by Lennon initially, and now Turnbull has been passed the baton.
Michael, we’ve been thinking about putting on an event with tasty, green environmental Tassie food and wine to promote the issue. Do you think you and your contacts could help out with that?
The world needs more Greens to fight this battle … come on potential ‘Greenies’, join up with us and make a difference.
I was a ‘non-active’ Greens member in Queensland … involved in family committments and doing my own Green thing. NOW I am fully involved in this, the FINAL BATTLE for our future.
We MUST gain ground in the Senate this election, otherwise, not only will Tassie be doomed but David Suzuki’s worst predictions will soon be a reality.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE … stand up for your future … download a membership form and join your local Greens. Fight this mill and HELP OUT AT THE POLLS … PLEASE!!!
ONLY with your help, can the environmental landslide win back Tassie forests. (Excellent video, Christine Milne!)
Amazingly, John Gay has said (ABC TV 04.10.07) that he is confident the mill construction can start before Christmas. So much for all the pre-construction ’scientific studies’ - they need a lot longer than 10 weeks to have any scientific validity. Obviously there has been a deal struck with malcolm Turnbull (how did he get to be a millionaire anyway?). This is a sorry day - 400 ha of low value scrub reserved so that 1000’s of hectares of pristine forest can feed the greedy maw of Gunns. Did you notice that Gunns seem to be the only company that can’t make any money out of regrowth timber? They are closing their veneer mill while another company opens one. So much for sustainable forestry if the regrowth isn’t good enough for veneer, surprise, surprise!
Anne, no doubt they’ll just start construction as was planned and throw in some fancy looking valves to appease Turnbull. I don’t think we’re going to get anything more than a piecemeal implementation of these environmental standards.
Turnbull really is playing grubby politics on the pulp mill. The terms of reference were far too narrow for the scientific report - they didn’t include carbon emissions (which will be huge) or the old growth forests that will be fed into it.
Turnbull said he would release the report to everyone - then he only gives it to Gunns.
Where is the report on the submissions he called for and received? So much for transparency and democracy. No public hearings, no real consulation.
And Garrett, the Shadow Minister for Environment who doesn’t cast a shadow (to quote Geoffrey Cousins) just goes along for the ride. He really has sold his soul to the ALP partry machine.
I think we should have a referendum on whether the mill should proceed so that the 90% of Australian’s who oppose it can have a say.
I am absolutely shocked at the ridiculous statement that this is a triumph for science. Our government really think we are stupid. There are safer pulp mill than this in developing countries and they still cause great deal of damage. The chief scientist Jim Peacock is an embarrassment for the scientific community. Same goes for Peter Garret, what an joke. Do you really think this is a world class pulp mill. Indeed, today is a dark, dark day for science.
I agree with Christine B. We need more people who are wheeling to stand up and finally confront a dirty government, come on people, there hasn’t been better time for the Revolution!
I hear you Christine B. I will apply directly after writing this message.
As for Peter Garrett, HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT, DISGUSTED !!We will remember YOU when the GREENS are finally in control. You wont have a place with us, you TURNCOAT.
To KAY SCHIEREN, Thank you, you said it all for me as well.
I hear such anger and passion in many of the above messages. Thank god for you people who stay informed and fight these ‘ filthy band of thieves’ that we call Ministers of our Government.
Every voting day, I feel defeated before I even vote. I dont have any faith in either party. They lie this side of the election, and then lie after the election. But this year, and from now on, my vote is GREEN, and I feel so positive about this decision.
IF WE ARE NOT ‘GREEN’, THEN NEITHER WILL THIS PLANET BE.
Thank God for Christine Milne. We CANNOT MUST NOT take any more forest. Only plantation timber from now on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Chief Scientist apparently discredited himself when he claimed that the Gunns Pulp Mill will have (all going well) an environmentally neutral footprint.
There was not one mention of CO2 emissions in the whole of his report!
Let alone the loss of 200,000 hectares of forests and associated willife!
I would like to ask an innocent question that I hope won’t be viewed as an attack on or criticism of the Greens. If the pulp mill is going to negatively affect the wine industry, then why isn’t Gunns upset about that impact, given that Gunns owns wineries in that area?
How does Peter Garrett do it.
Opposed to nuclear power, nuclear arms and therefore to uranium mining, the source of energy and weapons material Garrett joins a party with a 3 mines policy in the belief that you must go with the party that has a chance to be in power.
And now it does, along with a policy of as many uranium mines as you can have we will approve. Matches their greenhouse feeding coal mining policy perfectly.
And then he was seen to be a protector of forests when he headed the Australian Conservation Foundation and now he stands with the government on the decision to permit a pulpmill in the Tamar.
Although, to his credit he talks about a pulpwood feedstock.
If its not CFMEU approved it wont happen and plantations mean fewer jobs.
And then there are the questions. Is there enough harvest ready plantation estate to meet this goal in 2009. Who will pay Gunns to transport the woodchips from WA or wherever to feed this mill. And how will they be compelled to use only plantation feedstock now the Commonwealth has ticked the mill off.
Just a little time ago we were told by Gunns that the mill would be Totally Chlorine Free. That disappeared.
Then we had a planning process that was community consultation and that disappeared.
And you now must ask yourself the question what else will disappear as this mill is built.
Its no coincidence that Gay opposes every delay and new condition and then accepts each one. He either has a plan to circumvent them or he could build a closed loop, totally chlorine free plantation based pulpmill just no one with the power is game enough to tell him that’s it and get to work or we will find someone who will.
All the Howard haters out there who can only think in terms of a Labor Party opposition are supporting a party that is as close as it can be to indistinguishable from the party of Howard with being the Liberal Party.
Many Green supporters see the Senate as the place to be to hold the balance of power but with this alignment of the 2 old parties we will see that balance made irrelevant as tweeedledumdee votes as a block to forestall the Greens, as they do now.
The aim is not good policy it is to defeat the threat to the cosy 2 party preferred club that the Greens have become.
Had Garrett joined the Greens he would have retained his now shattered environmental credibility and would be taking them forward to a chance to be in power.
The only place to really hold that power is with a lower house block forcing Australia into a 3 party model. That is what the 2 old parties fear, as it would take the Tasmanian parliament’s experience of 2 oppositions, one in name and one in action to the national stage and expose the cosy club to the hot gaze of the nation.
I have so little confidence in Garrett having any impact that really counts that I can see him going to his final humiliation at the hands of the right and approving an asbestos mine.
I own and manage an Eco Retreat, Rainbow Retreat which is on the north east coast of Tasmania.
I am appalled at the process taken by the Tasmanian State labor government, this government is the most corrupt and arrogant government that exists in Australia. I now fear for the future of the wildlife and the environment since the announcement of the approval of the Pulp Mill.
I am also disgusted at Peter Garretts silence on this matter and that he has sold out with his support. This mill is not world class, it is third world class. I also fear deeply for our forests and the habitat, that will be destroyed by Gunns Ltd to feed a polluting factory that is not a viable business. We have developed a website for the wildlife of Tasmania… http://www.wildlifetasmania.com this website will tell you about the status of our wildlife and which politician’s to be aware of, WE ARE REGISTERED WILDLIFE CARERS AND KNOW THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE THOUSANDS OF WILDLIFE DESTROYED DURING AND AFTER THE MILL IS BUILT. The fight is not over yet, watch out Australia, Tasmania is about to ERUPT!!!!
Come on everyone in Australia, PLEASE HELP US STOP THIS MILL AND THIS CORRUPT LENNON GOVERNMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL VANDALS
Leah, I’m very pleased that you felt able to post that comment here and we really aim to cultivate an atmosphere here where people do feel able to ask questions without fearing being attacked.
In answer, without pretending to know what’s going on in the heads of Gunns’ board, there’s a couple of major issues. The first is that wineries are such a tiny part of the company’s business that they;re pretty much irrelevant next to this mill.
The second, and probably more important, is that Gunns-owned wines are the more corporate side of the industry - they are not claiming to be ‘clean, green and clever’ and and don’t rely on cellar-door sales. They sell into bottlos around the country. The impact on them from a smelly mill may not be so great unless it actually impacts on the quality of the wine.
Whereas wineries that are organic in transition, making a go of being ‘clean, green and clever’, wineries that are small, boutique operations relying on word of mouth and cellar-door sales, will be significantly impacted by the mill in their backyard.
THE MILL, and the whole lack of both Soveriegnty and Science in Australian government are now an election issue.
It is 32 years since the Helsinki Agreement, and still ignorance prevails when it comes to environmental science, sustainable development, biological health and evolutionary disease initiated by abiotic intrusion, Virulent Influenza initiated by Class Separatism, Sex Separatism, Age Separatism and Abhorrent Chicken Farm Mentality Separatism.
The Howard Government has deliberately fostered Gluttonous, Periphial, Heliodome, Comfort Zonism and fraudulently marketed it as Judeo-Christianity where everything will be alright as long as the economy is ALL to the Right.
Pulp Mills are an extremely questionable activity ANYWHERE in light of all of the science that is now not just on the wall but contained in countless PHd’s and more importantly practically subscribed to by many forward thinking developers in forward thinking societies.
NO it is definitely not over, it has only just begun.
I posted this on another blog this morning and it sums up how I feel:
As a Left wing voter, I should be able to confidently say that a Rudd-led ALP government will be better than a Howard/Costello Liberal one.
However, following the low profile and agree-to-just-about-everything role of the Opposition this year and after listening to Garrett’s full-on support of the pulp mill, I can now only say I hope an ALP government will be better than a Liberal one.
Today’s editorial in The Age echoes the same thought:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/editorial/labor-the-party-without-a-shadow/2007/10/05/1191091364010.html
All the opposition expressed prior to this pulp mill decision, and conveyed to the Chief Scientist, has now come to nothing. The wishes of the overwhelming majority have been completely ignored, and Malcolm Turnbull’s signature has been given to Gunns on a platter, allowing that company to rape Tasmania for the next fifty years.
Yet it is being said that this campaign is not over. If Gunns and the puppet Tasmanian government have passed all the legal hurdles, what indeed can be done to stop the pulp mill? If the Federal government is voted out of office in December, both Garrett and Rudd have already provided their continuing support for the mill.
There must be many people out there who are angered by this turn of events, and are prepared to do something about it. How is this latent sense of outrage to be harnessed? Last night, Geoffrey Cousins said: “I want to see every single issue related to that mill is tested in the public arena before it’s built.” In order to do this, Gunns would have to satisfy more conditions than those already imposed, so it is not clear to me how this could be achieved.
But what I do know is that if Geoffrey Cousins needs more funds in order to take this fight to a higher court, and possibly overturn the government’s green light to this disastrous project, there would be tens of thousands of people ready to contribute.
If this campaign is not over, then we need some leadership and we need it quickly.
Hi, I’m a SA Greens member, and I’ve been following this with some interest, so I’m also appalled at the decision, even though I don’t live there. Two tiny suggestions: make a list of the Gunns wine brands to boycott and spread that far and wide (if it’s not already well-known) and see if you can get David Suzuki or someone of his stature to join the fight. He was a big hit here when he spoke about global warming a while back.
I’m in Alexander Downer’s electorate, so we’re all working hard to get rid of him, but it’s not the same size fight as you have on your hands. I’m not sure if Geoffrey Cousins needs more funds, but you should let him know he has your support.
I wish you all the very best in your fight.
Shame on you Peter Garrett, No surprise Malcolm Turnbull, Whatever! John Howard… Kevin RUDD…leadership, what leadership?, another example of not upsetting potential voters, come on you spineless bastards, try backing a real cause.
What a loss, putting that mess as this mill will be, in a pristine area. Especially as there was another area where it would not be so controversial. And the 50 kilometre by 40 kilometre area of devastation to go with it, in this prime tourist area of interest, is too horrible to contemplate.
So what do we do now?
I’m a NSW voter. Needless to say, I am as disgusted and dissapointed with Garrett as everyone else and will be sharing that with everyone I know. Maybe Greens in Sydney should be protesting outside his office rather than Turnbull’s…
Christine Milne, is there any point sending any further communications to Turnbull about this now he’s approved it?
Can you update the video and tell us, the rest of us on the mainland that is, how we can donate or protest further in some effective way about this now that it’s basically going ahead? What’s the strategy? I want to help all of you in Tasmania but nationally, all of us in opposition need a clear way forward. Is the High Court really a possibility? Or what?
Also - I saw briefly on the ABC news last night that Bob Brown was addressing people at a demo in Tasmania and in refuting Turnbull’s decision, seemed to be focusing on technicalities of the science applied to the mill. Can’t we (the Greens) just oppose it clearly on the basis that no matter what the standards end up being, the destruction to forests and wildlife (which is a given) is not acceptable, and any large amounts of effluent pumped into Bass Strait is not acceptable.
I’m sick of trying to win on technicalities that aren’t the real point anyway. I don’t think that works and just want all of us to mobilise behind the concept that this whole basic old-world approach of bolstering the economy no matter what the environmental destruction (and pretending to apply science and standards) is not acceptable.
If ever there was a time for solidarity it’s NOW!!We must stand together united at all costs to push back this corporate thrust against our clean green future
Let us hold a vision for what we really aspire to,for this’ jewel’ of the south called ‘Tasmania’!
Whats really important to you ? ask this Question
Act on it now.
Boldness has genius and power in it
Begin it now!
Now is the moment that matters,lets move!!!…
Tegan, I’d encourage you to keep talking about the issue with people you know, talking to them about the importance of delivering the balance of power in the Senate to the Greens, as we are the only party who will stand up and oppose polluting developments like this mill.
You can also lobby your financial institutions, and any other politicians you can. You’re right that the Minister’s mind seems to be made up, but pressure on the opposition and backbenchers can make a real difference.
Thanks for your idea about another video. It’s a good idea, and we’ll get onto it as soon as we can.
By the way, while you’re right that many campaigns aren’t finally won on the details, it’s also true that few, if any, are won without the details being at least part of the argument. We have to have all the information and know what we are talking about if our message is tobe credible.
Thanks to everybody for the comments.
If I were a customer of the ANZ bank I would withdraw as a customer if the bank went ahead and financed Gunns to pursue with this insane, destruction of our unique ‘Clean, Green Island.’….
WHICH is going to be the complete OPPOSITE if this pulp mill goes ahead.
I employ those that ARE customers’ of ANZ to threaten to terminate their accounts if the bank supports Gunns with financial backing……
DON’T LET UP!!
Sue
No matter what transpires with the mill, the issue fo rour party is how to articulate a vision of the future that is not predicated on endless economic growth. Th emill debate throws into a sharp light the fundamental difference btw labs, libs and the greens - we dont think economic growth for its own sake is justifiable. Articulate a vision Christine et al.
Peter, a major part of the reason for this blog is because the difficulty we find achieving mainstream media coverage for our attempts to articulate a vision - the media is more interested in hearing us oppose things that promote something else. [See my post on 'open source democracy].
In terms of articulating a vision, the best thing I can recommend is that you read Christine’s report, re-energising australia. You can download it from http://www.christinemilne.org.au, via a link in the top right corner.
I’d love to hear your comments on it.
you gotta ramp up the campaign against the pulp mill, organise a protest against the ANZ, its the weak link in the pulp mill proposal. A 1% increase in the cost of capital for gunns could sink it. encourage people to email their opposition to the ANZ. email the anz at economics@anz.com
An absolute gem from the Environment Minister’s
SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS FOR THE PROPOSED PULP MILL
Listed Threatened and Migratory Marine Species:
• Noise-generating activities must stop if a whale, seal or dolphin approaches within defined safety zones.
Cracked me up - are Gunns going to employ somebody to survey the river from a crows nest and send the signal shut the plant down at the first sight of a dolphin’s fin or a whales tail?
Serious reality check needed!
Perhaps we should give Peter Garrett a break.
As Mungo Macallum writes: ” there is every possibility that in two month’s time Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment, will be signing the ratification documents for the Kyoto treaty and preparing to implement a radical and far-reaching program on sustainable energy, pollution control and climate change …”.
If a Rudd government takes power early next year, Garrett’s pragmatic approach may yet yield significant results. It really depends on how much influence he can achieve as a Minister. The pulp mill issue has a long way to run, and I can only endorse Christine’s comments above.
As an observer my impression is that Turnbull’s appointment of Peacock and the rest of the saga is nothing more than a charade. The political decision to approve the Gunn’s monstrosity had already been made. (Perhaps by the dwarf in Kiribilli, Mr Lennon and Mr Gay (Gunn’s CEO)) Expect more last minute shady approvals of big business, Earth damaging projects.
In my opinion, anyone who’s outraged by this decision should take it with the ANZ and any other financial institution that will fund the project. Don’t expect much from Rudd of Garett either.
I agree with Nicolas. I too like the rest of us am appalled at how dirty Australian politics can get. The process of hiring Peacock to do an ‘assessment’ of the pulp mill, seemed so ochestrated, the Tasmanian goverement had plans to go ahead from day one, hiring Peocock was just a silly political gimmick to make the rest of us think that the government gives two hoots about the Tasmanian environment. Those of us who are lucid enough to see this, need to stand up and take action, we cannot let this happen to country so beautiful like ours.
I have been employed as a community development worker for the past 20 years in Buchan, East Gippsland, Vic.
Buchan since white settlement had economically sustained itself through farming, tourism and the timber industry. Buchan and Distict had numerous timber mills dotted around the district. When the R.F.A. committee visited Buchan for the community consultation process, a group of us where able to save considerable coups that were going to be milled, as these coups were going to be in the direct sight of the “Tourist scenic route”
Little did we know when we were celebrating our win, that the decision had been made to just go over the other side of the mountain and log there which was out of sight from the road. Many of us were scepticle of the RFA process and felt that in their findings of how much sustainable forests we in Australia had left, numbers were way over estimated and this is what eventually the Government had to disclose.
All the timber mills in Buchan and District have now closed down except for a small milling operation at South Buchan, as guess what the timber was now not there to cut down.
Especially after the 2003 fires that burnt 1.3 millon hectres of our national parks, forests and public land. In 2007 the fires burnt 1.1 million hectres, that threatened our community and district for 7 weeks.
When it was announced that we did not have enough sustainable timber in our district, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting with 60 other people feeding in their ideas to the State Government on creative ideas on how we were going to not only look to a sustainable future, but how were we going to retrain the numerous timber related workers that had been retrenched.
I had just read a fascinating and informative book on the HEMP INDUSTRY, the history of Hemp, the political lobbying by Dupont to the American Govt to ban Hemp as Dupont wanted to destroy the Hemp industry so they could have the monopoly on fibre made from fuel based plastics. This book also explained how Hemp fibre is one of the stongest fibres in the world and what can be produced from Hemp fibre, such as PAPER, from the finest paper to cardboard, along with hemp clothes, buidling materials, it can also be destilled into Hemp oil and we could run our cars instead of fossil fuels, obviously after reading this insightful book turned my thinking around on how we could sustain ourselves into the future. Instead of continuing to cut our forests down, we could turn the timber indusrty into a HEMP industry.
We here in Australia have a perfect opportunity to lead the world in this industry. I do not want to destroy the employment of anyone, but the timber industry will not be sustainable, but a Hemp indusrty would be sustainable.
I have spoken over the past 5 years to both Local, State and Federal Goverments about this idea, I have also with this appalling propsal to build a Pulp Mill in Tasmania by Gunns Ltd an opportunity to write to Minister Turnball, Minister Bob Brown, Minister Peter Garrett, Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd and Prime Minister John Howard.
I have explained to each and every one of them that if the timber indusrty could get their heads around shifting their mind sets from timber to hemp, they could embrace this change and the companies like Gunns could grow Hemp fibre along with farmers, the hemp fibre industry would need to employ many people either in the field of growing, harvesting, trucks would still need to transport to hemp fibre production plants and then the companies could have spin offs in paper, clothing buidling material and eventually an enviromentally freindly fuel to run our vehicles.
It is now more important that ever to seriously look at this alternative as we are now so much more aware of how what we have done in the past is now negativley impacting on our environment we live in, by taking so many natural resources from this wonderful planet, with its amazing eco system, that we have impacted so much that we are now expereincing not only globel warming, but the green house emissions that are poisioning not only the planet but all creatures both big and small. So if we do not act and speak out now and stand up for the rights of all, what will we leave our childrens, childrens, children.
Hemp fibre when grown, takes a minimul amount of water, so in our enviroment of drought across Australia, Hemp would take approx a quarter of the water to grow hemp fibre than to grow trees, when Hemp is harvested the stalks are put back into the soil and help with replacing nutrients.
I am appalled at the propsal that Gunns Ltd want to build a pulp mill in the Tamar Valley, that will treatened so many animals, our pristine water and the many farming idustries within the local vicinity, such as the fishing industry, the wine industry and farming industries.
I would dearly like to get feed back regarding my idea on a HEMP industry within Australia. Just a foot note, when I speak about Hemp fibre, I am not talkiing about Marajhuna which has THC that can get you high, I am talking about Hemp fibre that has no THC and is only utilised for the strong fibre it possesses.
Just want to say you are all doing a great job in keeping up the political pressure on this very important subject. Always remember.
STAND UP, GET UP, STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS, DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!!!!!!!!