Wilderness Society say Gunns Pulp Mill ""too far gone to receive a social licence" and will "never be accepted by local community". Article from Pro Print.

................"Vica Bayley, campaign director for the Wilderness Society Tasmania, told ProPrint that the NGO approved of the move, particularly because FSC certification mandates community involvement."It's welcome. It's a step in the right direction," he said. However, he added that the Bell Bay project in its current form was "too far gone to receive a social licence". "As long as the project has been approved having been fast-tracked and using inadequate processes, it can never be accepted by the community. For that, they'll have to go back to the drawing board," said Bailey"........Read more below

.............................

Gunns aims to FSC certify Bell Bay mill

by Daniel Fitzgerald Nov 1, 2010

in ProPrint

 Gunns has taken "a step in the right direction" by applying for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for Bell Bay, but the pulp mill still won’t win community acceptance, said the Wilderness Society.
The forestry giant today said it was aiming to FSC certify the mill, which will be "ranked in the top five mills in the world" for environmental outcomes.
The company also used the market update to say that "due diligence process in respect of the pulp mill investment has progressed satisfactorily".
One of the outcomes it listed was "confirmation that commitment to applying the most modern technology will result in a facility that will be ranked in the top five mills in the world as far as environmental outcomes [are] concerned". Gunns said the mill would be capable of generating a minimum of 180 megawatts of energy per year, with 90 megawatts returned to the national grid.
A Gunns spokesperson told ProPrint the company had also started the "long process" of achieving FSC certification.
Vica Bayley, campaign director for the Wilderness Society Tasmania, told ProPrint that the NGO approved of the move, particularly because FSC certification mandates community involvement.
"It's welcome. It's a step in the right direction," he said.
However, he added that the Bell Bay project in its current form was "too far gone to receive a social licence".
"As long as the project has been approved having been fast-tracked and using inadequate processes, it can never be accepted by the community. For that, they'll have to go back to the drawing board," said Bailey.
Gunns recently announced that it would quit using native forest for its pulp production, as well as collaborating with environmental groups on a 'Statement of Principles' for the Tasmanian forestry industry.
"The Tasmanian Forest Statement of Principles is a major step forward but we acknowledge the need to consult with the community and other groups not party to the statement in respect of the environmental credentials of the pulp mill as now planned," the company said.
Although the Bell Bay project was already set to use only plantation timber, Gunns' recent announcement that it would no longer use native forest is expected to expedite the mill's construction, which has stalled awaiting investment.
The company last week also downgraded its earnings forecast for the current financial year, saying that factors such as the strengthening Australian dollar had forced it to revise its underlying EBIT forecast from $50m-$60m to $40m-$50m.