Pulp mill still on agenda

John Hayward, Weegena, Tas
The Age (letter), October 25, 2010

THOSE applauding Tasmania's ''in principle'' forestry agreement should use no more than one hand. Gunns still plans the third-largest pulp mill in the world. While now vowing to source all of the mill's 4.5 million tonne input from plantations, it is refusing to surrender the 1.5 million tonnes a year allocation of very cheap public forest wood it was earlier promised under the mill's wood supply agreement. The company has also spoken of demanding $200 million compensation for abandoning further inroads into state forests.

Other native forest loggers are demanding 30 years to exit the industry, which, at present logging rates, will render the preservation issue entirely academic. When seeking models of progressive governance, Tassie belongs among your last stops.