Friends of Tamar Valley - Tony Burke operating outside the Law

Media Release

ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

BREACHES LAW ON PULP MILL

Minister Burke has failed to produce a document containing the reasons for his recent pulp mill decisions, contrary to his legal requirement to do so.
Almost two months ago community group Friends of the Tamar Valley wrote to Minister Burke to request written reasons for the decisions he made in early March 2011. The law requires Minister Burke to have produced the reasons within four weeks, yet they are still to be provided.
“The only excuse from the Minister’s Department is that it is too busy,” lawyer, and FTV spokesperson, Vanessa Bleyer said. “It is difficult to comprehend how the government can be too busy to comply with the law. It is also difficult to understand why the government thinks this is a sufficient excuse for not complying with the law.”
“This response comes off the back of a corrupt government approval process for the proposed pulp mill, an issue currently before Tasmania’s recently established Integrity Commission,” Ms Bleyer said. “The people of Tasmania have had enough of governments acting as if they are above the law in respect of this proposed pulp mill.”
“FTV calls on Minister Burke to explain:
• how and why his Department can be too busy to comply with the law; and
• when he will produce the reasons that the law required him to do weeks ago,” Ms Bleyer concluded.