Anti-mill group pulps Bartlett's backdoor pipeline deal

Oh dear. The Tasmanian Government just cant help itself .

The latest favour for Gunns (see statement below) is the continuation of a history of secret deals and broken promises by the Bartlett government relating to the pulp mill. Premier Bartlett has made many utterances about restoring integrity and honesty to government, yet this latest slight of hand is so transparently deceitful it shows Mr Bartlett to be no different to his predecessor when it comes to the Pulp Mill.

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MEDIA RELEASE 6/08/2010

FRIENDS OF THE TAMAR VALLEY INC

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MORE PULP MILL CORRUPTION

- ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR PIPELINE WON’T STAND

The community group Friends of the Tamar Valley today called on the Tasmanian Premier to intervene following information that Gunns is receiving further assistance from a State government department for its proposed pulp mill.
Dept of Infrastructure Energy & Resources said it will let Gunns place its contentious pipeline within land that was compulsorily acquired for a road bypass.
FTV spokesperson, Vanessa Bleyer said “this follows the Premier saying only a year ago that he would not do anything further to assist Gunns’ pulp mill.
“It is a convenient coincidence that:- the land that was compulsorily acquired was the biggest piece of land Gunns wanted to build its pipeline across where the landowner refused access;
- a year ago the government denied the pipeline was envisaged to run within the bypass when there was evidence in support of such strategy.
“FTV is in the process of obtaining legal advice, with initial indications that it is illegal for land to be compulsorily acquired for a public road when it was always intended to be used for the pipeline.
“Protests from landowners and the local community should not be ignored or deliberately side stepped through corrupted processes.”
There is still uncertainty for the pulp mill relating to the pipeline because:
- there is still private land that Gunns does not have permission to construct through;
- the new pipeline route will need federal government approval.
There is still uncertainty beyond the pipeline. The pulp mill has not been finally approved at a Federal level – modules of the environment impact management plan relating to the impact on marine environment are outstanding: no approved plan, no pulp mill.

For further information contact Vanessa Bleyer of FTV on 0412 589 68 48 or 6394 8225.